A National Song PDF Download

How did one of the most controversial songs in American history become our national anthem? Why is it sitll controversial, and still our anthem? When author Marc Ferris first asked those questions, he thought he'd find the answers easily. Instead, he learned if he wanted to know the true, complete story of "The Star-Spangled Banner," he'd have to write the book himself. The song became instantly popular after Francis Scott Key composed the lyrics in 1814 and stole the melody from an old British drinking song-ironic, since Britain was the bitter enemy whose "bomb bursting in air" inspired him. But it also became embroiled in argument, was used and abused by politicians of every stripe, and endured a 117-year wait before it was officially anointed the national anthem in 1931. That happened because World War I veterans preferred it to other contenders, such as "Hail Columbia" and "America, the Beautiful." During the early Depression years, they lobbied Congress to formally recognize it. But they also protested massive corruption in the federal Veterans Bureau, demanding better services and payment of their promised bonus. To appease them while avoiding doing anything that cost money, Congress passed, and President Hoover signed, a one-sentence bill giving the vets the anthem they wanted and nothing else. (The cynical ploy didn't work; the next year saw the infamous Bonus March on Washington.