The real story behind the Star Spangled Banner

Do you know the story behind the Star Spangled Banner? Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer who, like others, were mad at the fact that the United States declared war on Great Britain. 

But, after the British took our nation's Capital in 1814, he and other Americans became fired up to fight the British. Many Americans were held in captivity after that battle but so were many British soldiers on our side. 

So, on the night of September 13th, 1814 Francis Scott Key rowed to British Naval Vessel on the mouth of the Patapsco River outside of Baltimore, Maryland.

There he was tasked with negotiating the release of the Americans being held below. The night was great, they were civilized men who dined with one another on top of the deck, but when it was time for the Americans to go home the British halted. They said you can't leave yet, we're moving into position to blast the daylights out of Fort McHenry where they planned to raid it the next morning. 

Francis said "but you can't do that, there's women and children on that island, it's predominately not a military base."

The British officer said don't worry about it, we left them a way out. He said all they have to do is lower the flag in the middle of the Fort to show they're surrendering and we'll stop the bombardment. Francis called down to the American prisoners below and said "men, I'll report back to you what I see." 

Then in the darkness of the night, suddenly like the flame on a match, the sky went bright with the British guns unloading on the Fort. The prisoners below shouted "Where's the flag? Is the flag still flying over the rampart? Where is it!?" 

Francis replied, "It's still up." And the night went on, the bombardment looked to great for anything or anyone to survive, yet the flag was still flying. The British were stunned as if their soul was taken from them when after hours the flag was still standing. How can the biggest navy on God's earth not be powerful enough to take down one flag? 

The next morning, Francis Scott Key and the other Americans were stunned to find even at dawn the flag still glistened in the morning light. But as they approached they found that what kept the flag flying was not held up by mere wood. It was held up by Patriots bodies. They knew what would happen if that flag their ancestors fought so hard for would fall. They knew that there was no sacrifice too great, that Americans and the American flag are the embodiment of the new world of Freedom, of Liberty that gave proof through the night. 

"O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave." 

Fourth of July is more than hot dogs and beer friends. And I hope you take time to look through our Fourth of July Collection because this is Black Friday for us Libertarians.