The Star-Spangled Banner

The Star-Spangled Banner

The Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem of the United States. It has special words from a poem called the "Defence of Fort M'Henry." A man named Francis Scott Key wrote the poem in 1814.

Key wrote the poem after seeing a big U.S. flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes. This flag was called the Star-Spangled Banner. It flew over Fort McHenry after a battle. The poem told about the flag and how it made people feel proud.

The words of the poem were set to music from a popular British song. A musician named John Stafford Smith wrote the music many years before. The song became very popular in the United States. People love to sing it, even though it can be hard because of the high notes.

In 1931, the U.S. Congress made the song the official national anthem. President Herbert Hoover signed it into law. Today, most people only sing the first part of the poem, but there are four verses in total.

The Star-Spangled Banner is sung at many special events and games. It makes people feel proud to be from the United States.