how long is the star spangled banner song time

How long is the star spangled banner song time series#

The first Flag Act, adopted on June 14, 1777, created the original United States flag of thirteen stars and thirteen stripes. At its original dimensions of 30 by 42 feet, it was larger than the modern garrison flags used today by the United States Army, which have a standard size of 20 by 38 feet.

It was intended to fly from a flagpole about ninety feet high and be visible from great distances.

The Star-Spangled Banner’s impressive scale (about one-fourth the size of a modern basketball court) reflects its purpose as a garrison flag. Each star is about two feet in diameter, each stripe about 24 inches wide. The larger of these two flags would become known as the “Star-Spangled Banner.” Pickersgill stitched it from a combination of dyed English wool bunting (red and white stripes and blue union) and white cotton (stars). She was hired under a government contract and was assisted by her daughter, two nieces, and an indentured African-American girl. Armistead commissioned Mary Pickersgill, a Baltimore flag maker, to sew two flags for the fort: a smaller storm flag (17 by 25 ft) and a larger garrison flag (30 by 42 ft). In June 1813, Major George Armistead arrived in Baltimore, Maryland, to take command of Fort McHenry, built to guard the water entrance to the city.

Plans for new permanent exhibition gallery now underway.

Major, multi-year conservation effort launched in 1998.

On exhibit at the National Museum of American History since 1964.

First loaned to the Smithsonian Institution in 1907 converted to permanent gift in 1912.

Preserved by the Armistead family as a memento of the battle.

Raised over Fort McHenry on the morning of September 14, 1814, to signal American victory over the British in the Battle of Baltimore the sight inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner”.

Fifteen stars and fifteen stripes (one star has been cut out).

Commissioned by Major George Armistead, commander of Fort McHenry.

Made in Baltimore, Maryland, in July-August 1813 by flagmaker Mary Pickersgill.

Quick Facts about the Star-Spangled Banner Flag Here is a look at some of the most famous - and infamous - recent performances.The original Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the song that would become our national anthem, is among the most treasured artifacts in the collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

And the most high-profile events, like the World Series and Super Bowl, now attract top-billed vocalists.

While some find the act “disrespectful” to the flag, others argue that these players and spectators have the right to practice this act of peaceful protesting.Īs ESPN writers Luke Cypher and Ethan Trex described in “The Song Remains the Same,” it is now virtually impossible to imagine a major sporting event without the tune. Kneeling or sitting during the national anthem, especially during sporting events, has become common for players or spectators to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. The moment kicked off the longstanding tradition of playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at sporting events - more than a decade before Congress passed an act confirming Wilson’s presidential order in 1931 and making the song the official national anthem. When the military band played the tune, a silence fell over the stadium, and spectators saluted the flag. And a bomb blast at the Chicago Federal Building the day before had spectators on edge at Comiskey Park, where the first game in the series was played. As the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox vied for the title, World War I loomed over the nation. Demanding an end to police brutality and systemic racism, these protests are reminding us that the racist history of these figures is not talked about heavily enough.Īs for the song’s role in sporting events, its history dates back to the 1918 World Series. The legacies of both Key and Wilson, a noted segregationist who implemented many racist policies during his time as governor of New Jersey and president, are under renewed scrutiny as Black Lives Matter protests have swept across the U.S. But it was Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States, who played a major role in popularizing the song by declaring it the anthem for the U.S. Key, a slave owner, originally wrote the lyrics for what would become the National Anthem after witnessing the defeat of the British at the Battle of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.

How long is the star spangled banner song time series#