The Star Spangled Banner Written by Francis Scott Key

There is a song that gives me chills and fills me with a sense of pride each time I hear it. That song is our national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner".

"The Star Spangled Banner" was originally written as a poem by Francis Scott Key in 1814. It was later put to music and was officially declared our national anthem in 1931. Key wrote his famous poem, originally titled "Defense of Fort McHenry", after seeing a battle waged during the night against the fort in September of 1814. Due to the darkness of night and the distance he was from the fort it was hard for key to tell who was actually winning the battle. When he saw that the American flag was still waving over the fort the next morning, signaling an American victory, it was such an impressive sight that he was inspired to pen the words of his poem.

"The Star Spangled Banner", and that which it represents, is what our nation stands for, literally and figuratively. Our flag, more than anything, is what symbolizes what we are - one nation, a united nation. There is no other song that I know that can bring tears to eyes of multiple generations. There is no other song that will bring us to our feet with our hands to our hearts. This happens not because it is what we are supposed to do, but because it's what we feel compelled to do. This song and our flag reminds us who we are and how we got to be who we are - Americans.

When push comes to shove, when it matters the most, when we feel our backs are against the wall, this song has proved itself, time and again, to unite us all as a nation. Through any "perilous fight", we will follow it. And though we may not always emerge victorious, we do emerge still united. And always when we've emerged, our flag has still stood, still proudly waving over "the land of the free, and the home of the brave".

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