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In the summer of 1814, the United States of America teetered on the brink of disaster. The war it had declared against Great Britain two years earlier appeared headed toward inglorious American defeat. The young nation's most implacable nemesis, the ruthless British admiral George Cockburn, launched an invasion of Washington in a daring attempt to decapitate the government and crush the American spirit. The British succeeded spectacularly, burning...
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It was September 14, 1814, and America and Great Britain were at war. Francis Scott Key watched from the deck of a British ship, where he was being held captive, as cannons exploded around them. After 25 hours, the fighting ceased and Key peered through the clearing smoke, looking for some sign as to the outcome of the battle. Was the American flag still flying? His wartime experience inspired Key to write a poem, which was later set to music and...
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The inspiring story behind the national anthem and the American flag comes alive in this "page-turning narrative [with] generous archival illustrations" (Kirkus, starred review).
"O say can you see" begins one of the most recognizable songs in the US. Originally a poem by Francis Scott Key, the national anthem tells the story of the American flag rising high above a fort after a night of intense battle during the War of 1812. But there is...
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"Francis Scott Key is enshrined in America's iconography as a paragon of patriotism on par with Betsy Ross, Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry, Paul Revere, and John Hancock - individuals who hold exalted places in early American history for performing one memorable act. For Francis Scott Key, that immortal moment was writing "The Star-Spangled Banner" under the most dramatic (and unlikely) of circumstances: while witnessing the all-night Battle of Baltimore...
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Finley can't focus. He's supposed to sing the national anthem at the soccer championships but he can't seem to remember the lyrics. Meanwhile, he's making mess after mess in the family's Sweets Shop. Just when things can't get any worse, one of their favorite types of customers arrives. Francis Scott Key takes Finley and Fiona back in time to see first hand what inspired him to write The star-spangled banner. But when they're caught by enemy soldiers,...