Birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner (an encore)

by Kassandra Lamb ~ I figured this story was worth a re-print, so I can brag about something that every native of my home state is quite proud of. Maryland is the birthplace of The Star-Spangled Banner.

My guess is most U.S. schoolchildren learn that our national anthem was penned by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812.

But in Maryland, we got the whole story.

Francis Scott Key was a Washington lawyer. He had gone aboard a British truce ship to negotiate the release of a prison...