Andrew Jackson carried this sword and scabbard while commanding the American forces, which includ
Reluctant Patriot – Francis Scott Key
Grade Range: 9-12
Resource Type(s): Reviewed Websites, Reference Materials
Date Posted:
1/7/2009
Francis Scott Key is recognized as one of the nation's great patriots despite the fact that he initially opposed America's entry into the War of 1812. This article from Smithsonian Magazine discusses several interesting aspects of the war, including: Key's anti-war sentiments, how the events at Fort McHenry changed his opinion, how the war helped to define American identity both internationally and domestically, and how Key's narrative poem became the national anthem.
National Standards
United States History Standards (Grades 5-12)
Era 4: Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
2: How the industrial revolution, increasing immigration, the rapid expansion of slavery, and the westward movement changed the lives of Americans and led toward regional tensions
3: The extension, restriction, and reorganization of political democracy after 1800
4: The sources and character of cultural, religious, and social reform movements in the antebellum period