677. USA: The Star-Spangled Banner (Part 1)
Episode of The Rest Is History · June 7, 2026 · 1 h 11 min
Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland trace the Star-Spangled Banner from the 1814 bombardment of Fort McHenry to its adoption as anthem and the controversy over slavery.
Summary
Opening a World Cup series on national anthems, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook began with the United States' Star-Spangled Banner. Sandbrook outlined the causes of the War of 1812, the failed American invasions of Canada, the British Chesapeake campaign and the burning of Washington, before recounting how lawyer Francis Scott Key, sent to secure the release of Dr. William Beanes, was detained aboard British ships and watched the September 1814 bombardment of Fort McHenry. He noted that the bombardment did little damage, that the huge garrison flag was simply raised at dawn as usual, and that the popular story of Key writing on an envelope is a myth.
Sandbrook explained that the poem was a broadside ballad written to the English tune of the Anacreontic Song by John Stafford Smith, a melody already widely reused in America, and that it spread through newspapers before music-seller Thomas Carr gave it its title. After the break the hosts examined the charge, raised by the NAACP in 2017, that the third verse's 'hireling and slave' glorifies slavery. Holland argued the phrase echoed revolutionary-era insults for British subjects and mercenaries; Sandbrook agreed this was plausible but set out the context of Rear Admiral Cockburn's recruitment of escaped slaves into the Corps of Colonial Marines, and Key's own slaveholding, American Colonization Society activism and prosecutions of abolitionists.
The hosts then followed the song's nineteenth-century life, including parodies and Confederate claims, its institutionalisation in the military, objections to its British melody, militarism and difficulty, rival candidates such as Hail Columbia and America the Beautiful, and its adoption into law by Herbert Hoover in 1931. They closed with later controversies, from José Feliciano, Jimi Hendrix and Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat to Colin Kaepernick's kneeling protest and the toppling of Key's statue in San Francisco. Sandbrook concluded that Key's text was probably aimed at escaping slaves but that art can be separated from the artist, citing an 1844 abolitionist version of the anthem.
Chapters
- 2:43
Introducing the World Cup anthems series
Holland explains the series on six World Cup nations' anthems, starting with the United States.
- 4:08
Causes of the War of 1812
Sandbrook outlines the four American motives for war and the failed invasions of Canada.
- 9:10
Chesapeake campaign and burning of Washington
The British raid the Chesapeake, burn Washington and turn toward Baltimore.
- 10:43
Francis Scott Key and Dr. Beanes
Key is sent to free Dr. William Beanes and is detained by the British after overhearing attack plans.
- 15:30
Bombardment of Fort McHenry
Sandbrook describes the largely ineffective rocket and shell bombardment and the raising of the great garrison flag.
- 19:57
Writing and publishing the poem
Key writes the poem on notepaper, not an envelope, and it is printed as Defence of Fort McHenry.
- 23:32
Broadside ballads and the Anacreontic Song
The hosts explain the reused English tune and its prior political uses in America.
- 33:29
The 'hireling and slave' controversy
The hosts debate whether the third verse refers to British subjects or to escaped slaves in the Corps of Colonial Marines.
- 44:04
Key's record on slavery
Sandbrook examines Key's slaveholding, American Colonization Society work and prosecutions of abolitionists.
- 48:50
The song in the nineteenth century
Parodies, Confederate claims and growing military use make the song and flag national relics.
- 53:18
Becoming the national anthem
After rival songs and objections, the anthem is adopted in 1931 through veterans' lobbying.
- 58:00
Modern controversies
From Feliciano, Hendrix and Borat to Kaepernick and the San Francisco statue, the hosts weigh the anthem's legacy.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook argues that the War of 1812 is obscure even in the United States, partly because it ended in a draw.
“And even for American listeners, I think, would have to concede that this war is very obscure as, in fact, reading an American historian about it”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook says the war is chiefly remembered in Canada, where the defeat of American invasions became foundational to national identity.
“And this is, of course, a foundational moment in Canadian identity. So the one place where people do talk about the War of 1812 is in Canada”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook states that the British bombardment of Fort McHenry was largely ineffective because the ships had to stay at the limit of their range.
“They kill four people. They wound 24. But they don't really have any impact whatsoever on the fort's defenses”
- Dominic Sandbrook
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”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook points out that the anthem's melody is English, the Anacreontic Song composed by John Stafford Smith.
“It's an English tune. The tune is called The Anachriontic Song. And it was written in 1775 by a man called John Stafford Smith”
- Tom Holland
Holland argues that 'hireling and slave' was revolutionary-era rhetoric for British subjects and Hessian mercenaries rather than a reference to enslaved Africans.
“I would have said that these are insults applied to soldiers fighting under the British crown”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook contends that both the wartime context and Key's own views give reason to think the verse referred to African-American slaves.
“There are reasons to think that Key was talking about African-American slaves. And one is to do with the context, and the other is to do with Key himself”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook recounts that former Colonial Marines were settled in Trinidad in villages whose inhabitants are still called Americans.
“They were given special villages under the command of their old sergeants. They settled there and they were called Americans”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook describes Key as an active opponent of abolitionism who used his office to prosecute anti-slavery activists.
“As district attorney for Washington, D.C. in the 1830s, he is a tireless foe of abolitionism”
- Tom Holland
Holland suggests Key may have held conflicting views on slavery and liberty that he never resolved, making the lyric ambiguous.
“Often, particularly in America, those shades of meaning are in direct conflict with each other. So perhaps he couldn't resolve those ambiguities”
- Tom Holland
Holland says he now considers the Marseillaise the first national song rather than the first national anthem, revising an earlier view.
“The Marseillaise is the first national song, but not the first national anthem”
- Dominic Sandbrook
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”
- Dominic Sandbrook
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”
- Dominic Sandbrook
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”
- Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook observes that Americans treat their anthem with a reverence not shared in countries such as Britain.
“that not all countries have the same attitude to their national anthem. So, for example, in Britain,”
Linked moment · 1:04:13Skip to 1:04:13 using a listen link in the info box.
Dominic SandbrookSandbrook gives his personal view that Key's lyric was probably aimed at escaping slaves who aided the British.
“And personally, I think his text probably is aimed at slaves who are trying to escape and are helping the British”
- Dominic Sandbrook
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”
People
In the conversation
- Dominic SandbrookBritish historian, author and co-host of The Rest Is History
- Tom HollandEnglish actor cast as Telemachus
Discussed
- Francis Scott KeyAmerican lawyer and author of the Star-Spangled Banner
- James MadisonFourth president of the United States during the War of 1812
- George CockburnBritish rear admiral who led the Chesapeake campaign
- Robert RossIrish-born British major general killed at the Battle of North Point
- William BeanesMaryland doctor whose detention led Key to the British fleet
- George ArmisteadAmerican commander of Fort McHenry in 1814
- Mary PickersgillBaltimore flagmaker who sewed the Fort McHenry garrison flag
- John Stafford SmithEnglish composer of the Anacreontic Song melody
- Mark ClagueAmerican scholar of the Star-Spangled Banner's history
- Christopher WilsonSmithsonian National Museum of American History curator
- Colin KaepernickNFL quarterback who knelt during the anthem in 2016
- Herbert HooverUS president who signed the anthem into law in 1931
- Sacha Baron CohenBritish comedian whose darker humour Druski contrasts with his own
- Jimi HendrixAmerican rock guitarist
- José FelicianoPuerto Rican singer whose 1968 World Series rendition caused controversy
Topics
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From the publisher
How did the War of 1812 result in America’s national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner? Who came up with it? And, why does this origin story make the anthem so controversial? Join Dominic and Tom as they launch into the first episode of their Football World Cup special, with the story behind America’s national anthem, and its secret story. _______ *Father’s Day discounted gift memberships available here. Treat your dad to ad-free listening, early access to full series, bonus episodes, and much more.* Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at therestishistory.com To read our new newsletter, sign up at: therestishistory.com/newsletters _______ Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations. Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 29, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.