As Francis Scott Key sat aboard a ship, now officially a prisoner of war, he could only
watch as the British bombarded American forces at Fort McHenry.
He had been sent to the British ship HMS Tonnant, along with John Stuart Skinner, by President
James Madison himself to negotiate the release of prisoners of war.
After dining with British officers, it became painstakingly clear to both Key and Skinner
that neither they, nor the POWs they came to rescue, were going to make it back to the
American side anytime soon.
The British were planning an attack on Fort McHenry and they did not want their visitors
to report back to the enemy their position or strength.
The British allowed the Americans to return to their ship, but under guard, and Key was
confided to a small cabin.
Key watched the battle rage and “in dawn’s early light,” he saw victory…
America’s flag was still there.
It was then that he put pen to paper and wrote much of the poem that would become the “Star
Spangled Banner,” finishing the rest at the Indian Queen Hotel after being released.
Key titled the poem “The Defense of Fort McHenry,” and showed it to his brother-in-law,
a commander at Fort McHenry.
He thought it fit perfectly with the medley of a popular drinking song of the time, “The
Anacreontic Song.”
The poem, with the new medley, was distributed to troops and appeared in the newspaper The
Baltimore Patriot and shortly thereafter was re-titled the “Star Spangled Banner” by
Thomas Carr who started selling the lyrics and sheet music for the song in his shop in
Baltimore.
Soon, it was printed in newspapers across the country, establishing its status as a
wartime anthem.
The song continued to gain popularity, often being played at parades and Independence Day
celebrations.
In 1889, the Secretary of the Navy Benjamin J. Tracy signed General Order #374, declaring
it the official song to be played whenever the flag was raised.
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered the “Star-Spangled Banner” be delivered
during all military processions and occasions.
In the fall of 1918, America was in the depths of wartime – this time, World War I. World
War I had begun four years earlier and after the bloody violent struggle, it finally seemed
that America (and it’s allies) would be victorious.
Patriotism during this time was at an all-time high.
Major sporting events particularly became venues for public displays of patriotism and
unity, as they still are to some extent today.
The Star-Spangled Banner had been played during sporting events dating all the way back to
the late 1800s, but the song cemented itself in the sporting world during the fall classic
of America’s pastime… the 1918 World Series.
The 1918 World Series was significant for a number of reasons.
It featured a matchup between the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox, two of the best
teams of the era.
Of course, after this World Series, neither of these teams would win a World Series for
a combined 181 years.
The Red Sox had a star pitcher on their roster by the name of Babe Ruth, who, of course,
turned out to be a better hitter than pitcher, which was saying something given his pitching
skills.
The war had forced the government to draft ball players into service during the summer
and, under the “Work or Fight” order, baseball was told to end their season prior
to Labor Day.
Therefore, the 1918 World Series became the first (and to this day, only) to be played
entirely in September.
In addition, a bomb – the act of the anti-capitalist union “Industrial Workers of the World”
— had blown up the Chicago Federal Building only days earlier, killing four and injuring
thirty.
Game one of the series was played in Chicago.
Some fans, due to fear and solemnness over the bombing, stayed away from the ballpark.
Only 19,000 of the available 30,000 seats were filled.
The ballpark was decked out in red, white, and blue, the Cubs’ brass trying everything
to make fans forget the violence of war, both here and abroad.
As Babe Ruth pitched a masterpiece against their Cubbies, fans remained silent and subdued
in their seats.
With the Sox leading one to nothing going into the bottom of the seventh inning, Chicago’s
ownership had arranged for a military band to play the Star-Spangled Banner during the
seventh inning stretch.
As the first notes played, fans began to hum and, then, sing along.
Red Sox third baseman Fred Thomas, a Navy man himself, stood silent and gave a military
salute, prompting other ballplayers to do the same.
Finally, the crowd came alive.
A cheer erupted from the stands at the conclusion of the song.
The Cubs would lose the game, but the media all wrote about how the fans excitement rose
with the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner,
First the song was taken up by a few, then others joined, and when the final notes came,
a great volume of melody rolled across the field.
It was at the very end that the onlookers exploded into thunderous applause and rent
the air with a cheer that marked the highest point of the day’s enthusiasm.
For the next two games in Chicago, the Cubs management had the military band again play
the Star-Spangled Banner during the seventh inning stretch.
The crowds were delighted and fans began showing up to the games, wanting to be part of the
patriotic display.
The World Series moved to Boston and the Red Sox brass, refusing to be outdone, moved the
Banner to before the game and used it to welcome wounded veterans onto the the field who had
received free tickets to the game.
With that, a sports tradition was born.
The Red Sox would go on to the win the World Series four games to two and would not be
victorious for another 86 years – until 2004.
In 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a law that declared that the Star-Spangled Banner
would forever also be known as the National Anthem.
But it was the fall of 1918 that the Star-Spangled Banner and America’s pastime became forever
linked.