What Dominic Sandbrook has said about The Star-Spangled Banner

Sandbrook rejects the popular story that Key wrote the poem on the back of an envelope, noting envelopes were rarely used in 1814.

“So you will often read on the internet that he writes it on the back of an envelope that he'd found in his pocket”

The Rest Is History: 677. USA: The Star-Spangled Banner (Part 1) (Jun 7, 2026) · Listen from 21:02

Sandbrook says early efforts to make the song the anthem failed over its British melody and other objections, not its slavery reference.

“And the reason he keeps losing is not because of the words hireling and slave. It's because, A, some people say it's a British melody”

The Rest Is History: 677. USA: The Star-Spangled Banner (Part 1) (Jun 7, 2026) · Listen from 55:04

Sandbrook notes that the song's exceptional vocal range makes it difficult even for professional singers.

“The Star Spangled Banner demands a range of 19 semitones, and even some professional singers are not capable of that range”

The Rest Is History: 677. USA: The Star-Spangled Banner (Part 1) (Jun 7, 2026) · Listen from 55:47

Sandbrook argues the song beat America the Beautiful because of its military associations and a veterans' petition campaign.

“The Star Spangled Banner won precisely because of its military associations. So the lobby group, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, organized a petition”

The Rest Is History: 677. USA: The Star-Spangled Banner (Part 1) (Jun 7, 2026) · Listen from 58:26

Sandbrook maintains that the art can be separated from the artist, pointing to an 1844 abolitionist rewrite of the anthem.

“I think we've generally always had the position on the show that you can separate the art from the artist”

The Rest Is History: 677. USA: The Star-Spangled Banner (Part 1) (Jun 7, 2026) · Listen from 1:04:22