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Francis Scott Key

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Francis Scott Key
“O, say can you see, by the dawns early light…” these are some of the words that made Francis Scott Key famous. When Francis Scott Key was a child, he lived on an estate called “Terra Rubra,” in Maryland. After he graduated grammar school, he began to study law. After that he became famous, because he wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner .”

Childhood Francis Scott Key was born August 1, 1779 and is the child of Ann Dagworthy (Charlton) and Capt. John Ross, he has one sibling and her name is Ann Pheobe Charlton. At age ten Key was sent to St. Johns Grammar School in Annapolis and graduated at age seventeen.

Adulthood After Key graduated grammar school he went to St. Johns College and began to study law. While he was studying law Key worked at a law firm ran by his uncle. Later in his life he got married to a woman named Mary Tayloe Lloyd. Key and Mary had eleven children; six boys and five girls (Elizabeth Pheobe, Maria Lloyd, Francis Scott, John Ross, Anna Arnold, Edward Lloyd, Daniel Murray, Philip Barton Key, Ellen Lloyd, Mary Alicia Lloyd Nevins, and Charles Henry.)

Became Famous A very close friend of Keys Dr. William Beanes was taken prisoner by the British and Key was asked to help release him. Key and Colonel John Skinner, which is a prisoner exchange negotiator, were put on a small boat without sails. All they did was sit and watch the British attack Fort McHenry. After twenty-five hours of continous bombing on Fort McHenry the British were unsuccessful of destroying the fort, the way they wanted it to look. Key was so anxious to see if the flag was still standing, it was. Key was very excited so he wrote a poem down and named it “Defense of Fort McHenry.” It was later renamed “The Star-Spangled Banner.” In 1931 it became the United State’s national anthem. But, before this happened Key died on January 11, 1843. Francis Scott Key was visiting one of his daughters and died of pleurisy which is an inflammation of the lining of lungs and chests

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