The Star-Spangled Banner

The narrative recounts the British Chesapeake campaign of 1814, detailing raids on Washington-area towns, the capture of a local physician, and the detention of Francis Scott Key aboard British vessels. It describes troop movements toward Baltimore, the land engagement at North Point, and the prolonged naval bombardment of Fort McHenry, emphasizing the uncertainty and smoke-filled night Key endured while watching the harbor. The account traces how these military actions, local reactions, and the dawn sight of the surviving flag led Key to compose a poem that later became the nation's anthem.