Key freed four of the seven slaves he inherited in 1842 and was a member of the American Colonization Society which purchased slaves and offered them passage to Africa. However, Key’s legacy is complicated as while he was not an abolitionist, he was not an ardent supporter of slavery either. Though most Americans recognize Key as the anthem’s composer, he was also a lawyer and slaveholder who once described African Americans as an “inferior race of people.” During his time as the district attorney for the city of Washington-from 1833 to 1840-he notoriously prosecuted the abolitionist Reuben Crandall in the aftermath of the 1835 race riot in Washington. The poem, which is four stanzas long, celebrated the resilience and triumph of the United States and was later set to the music of the British song “Anacreon in Heaven” to form the national anthem. “The Star-Spangled Banner” is based on a poem, “The Defence of Fort McHenry,” written by Francis Scott Key after he saw an American flag flying at the Battle of Fort McHenry following a victory over the British in the War of 1812.
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