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.