163-561: The Key House , also referred to as the Key Mansion , was the Washington, D.C. , home of lawyer and poet Francis Scott Key from 1805 to 1830. It was built in 1795 and demolished in the 1940s for a highway ramp. The Key House was built in 1795 by a real estate developer and merchant. At the time the house was located on Bridge Street, since renamed M Street , and included thick walls, long hallways, two parlors, and six bedrooms, in addition to
326-524: A 21-gun salute . Due to its location in an undesirable area and the lack of furniture or anything else related to Key, the museum saw few visitors. It only remained open for a few years before Taggart's death in 1912. His heirs drastically altered the appearance of the Key House, including removing the gable roof, removing the façade and installing glass-plate windows, demolishing the one-story adjoining building that Key used as office space and replacing it with
489-488: A cascading waterfall with Italian Renaissance -style architecture. Modern , Postmodern , contemporary , and other non-classical architectural styles are also seen in the city. The National Museum of African American History and Culture deeply contrasts the stone-based neoclassical buildings on the National Mall with a design that combines modern engineering with heavy inspiration from African art . The interior of
652-477: A range of 19 semitones, it is known for being very difficult to sing, in part because the melody sung today is the soprano part. Although the poem has four stanzas , only the first is commonly sung today. "The Star-Spangled Banner" was first recognized for official use by the United States Navy in 1889. On March 3, 1931, the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution (46 Stat. 1508 ) making
815-481: A 2023 population of 6.3 million residents. A locally elected mayor and 13-member council have governed the district since 1973, though Congress retains the power to overturn local laws. Washington, D.C., residents are, on the federal level, politically disenfranchised since the city's residents do not have voting representation in Congress; the city's residents elect a single non-voting congressional delegate to
978-413: A British ship, the attack on Baltimore began on September 12. After Key watched Fort McHenry and its large American flag be bombarded, he wrote Defence of Fort McHenry , a poem about Britain's unsuccessful attack. Two days later, Key penned the remaining four stanzas in a Baltimore pub. The poem became incredibly popular and was made into a song, renamed The Star-Spangled Banner , which later became
1141-480: A center of the nation's internal slave trade . After its survey, the new federal city was constructed on the north bank of the Potomac River, to the east of Georgetown centered on Capitol Hill . On September 9, 1791, three commissioners overseeing the capital's construction named the city in honor of President Washington. The same day, the federal district was named Columbia, a feminine form of Columbus , which
1304-541: A composition contest to nominate a national anthem. They selected the text of America The Beautiful ; 901 compositions were submitted for the $ 1,500 prize (equivalent to $ 26,310 in 2023). Frank Damrosch , Frederick Converse , Felix Borowski , and Peter Lutkin judged the compositions but nominated no winner. On November 3, 1929, Robert Ripley drew a panel in his syndicated cartoon, Ripley's Believe it or Not! , saying "Believe It or Not, America has no national anthem". In 1930, Veterans of Foreign Wars started
1467-463: A federal town". In Federalist No. 43 , published January 23, 1788, James Madison argued that the new federal government would need authority over a national capital to provide for its own maintenance and safety. The Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783 emphasized the need for the national government not to rely on any state for its own security. Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution permits
1630-404: A flag & go & try to procure his release. I hope to return in about 8 or 10 days, though [it] is uncertain, as I do not know where to find the fleet. – As soon as I get back I hope I shall be able to set out for Fred[ericksburg] – ... Under sanction from President Madison , on September 3, Key traveled 40 miles (64 km) by land from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore , where he arrived on
1793-408: A garden-lined grand avenue about 1 mile (1.6 km) long and 400 feet (120 m) wide in an area that is now the National Mall inspired by the grounds at Versailles and Tuileries Gardens. In March 1792, President Washington dismissed L'Enfant due to conflicts with the three commissioners appointed to supervise the capital's construction. Andrew Ellicott , who worked with L'Enfant in surveying
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#17328527695791956-485: A group of preservationists formed the Francis Scott Key Memorial Association to restore and preserve the Key House. Members of the association included Admiral George Dewey , Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley , Judge Ashley Mulgrave Gould , local politician Henry Brown Floyd MacFarland , and Key's great-grandson, Francis Scott Key Smith. The association tried to recreate the successful saving of
2119-468: A host of improvisations. It was one of Franklin's last public appearances before her 2018 death. Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie gave a controversial performance of the anthem in 2018. Critics likened her rendition to a jazzy "sexed-up" version of the anthem, which was considered highly inappropriate, with her performance compared to that of Marilyn Monroe 's 1962 performance of " Happy Birthday, Mr. President ". Fergie later apologized for her performance of
2282-581: A hotel and restaurant, then a string of commercial enterprises, including a blacksmith shop, and a dry-goods store. With the construction of the Georgetown Car Barn across the street, the area around the house rapidly developed. In the early 1900s, a group of historic preservationists purchased the house and established a museum honoring Key, but within a few years, the building was sold and drastically altered. The gabled roof and chimneys were removed, in addition to other modifications. Many people thought
2445-496: A modern glass exterior and heavy curvature. CityCenterDC is home to Palmer Alley, a pedestrian-only walkway, and houses several apartment buildings, restaurants, and luxury-brand storefronts with streamlined glass and metal facades. Outside Downtown D.C., architectural styles are more varied. Historic buildings are designed primarily in the Queen Anne , Châteauesque , Richardsonian Romanesque , Georgian Revival , Beaux-Arts , and
2608-423: A new house with all of the bricks used in the two chimneys. The original floor plan included a door on the left side of the house. Once inside, there was a long hallway leading from the entrance. On the first floor were two parlors to the right of the hallway, and a sun porch facing the Potomac River. The basement level, which also faced the river, is where the kitchen, dining room, and cold room were located. There
2771-585: A petition for the United States to officially recognize "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the national anthem. Five million people signed the petition. The petition was presented to the United States House Committee on the Judiciary on January 31, 1930. On the same day, Elsie Jorss-Reilley and Grace Evelyn Boudlin sang the song to the committee to refute the perception that it was too high pitched for
2934-431: A relatively high homelessness rate, despite its high living standard compared to many American cities. Washington, D.C., is divided into four quadrants of unequal area: Northwest (NW) , Northeast (NE) , Southeast (SE) , and Southwest (SW) . The axes bounding the quadrants radiate from the U.S. Capitol. All road names include the quadrant abbreviation to indicate their location. House numbers generally correspond with
3097-542: A replica. Before Truman vetoed the funding, work by the Alexander and Repass construction firm had already started on the site, with materials numbered and moved to a storage area underneath the Arlington Memorial Bridge . The building parts and brick foundation were left at the new location, and without funding approved for further work to be done, the materials remained untouched. It's unclear who moved or picked up
3260-577: A snowstorm in January 1772. Hurricanes or their remnants occasionally impact the area in late summer and early fall. However, they usually are weak by the time they reach Washington, partly due to the city's inland location. Flooding of the Potomac River , however, caused by a combination of high tide, storm surge, and runoff, has been known to cause extensive property damage in the Georgetown neighborhood of
3423-657: A special committee charged with beautifying Washington's ceremonial core. What became known as the McMillan Plan was finalized in 1901 and included relandscaping the Capitol grounds and the National Mall, clearing slums, and establishing a new citywide park system. The plan is thought to have largely preserved L'Enfant's intended design for the city. By law, the city's skyline is low and sprawling. The federal Height of Buildings Act of 1910 prohibits buildings with height exceeding
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#17328527695793586-450: A two-story commercial property, and removing the chimneys. These changes made some members of the public think the house had been demolished and replaced with another building. During World War I , the Key House was turned into a factory that made U.S. flags. The Key Bridge opened near the house in 1923, resulting in further development of the surrounding area. In 1929, one of Key's granddaughters, Mary Lloyd Pendleton Abney, bequeathed to
3749-458: A typical person to sing. The committee voted in favor of sending the bill to the House floor for a vote. The House of Representatives passed the bill later that year. The Senate passed the bill on March 3, 1931. President Herbert Hoover signed the bill on March 4, 1931, officially adopting "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the national anthem of the United States of America. As currently codified,
3912-468: A variety of Victorian styles. Rowhouses are prominent in areas developed after the Civil War and typically follow Federal and late Victorian designs. Georgetown 's Old Stone House , built in 1765, is the oldest-standing building in the city. Founded in 1789, Georgetown University features a mix of Romanesque and Gothic Revival architecture . The Ronald Reagan Building is the largest building in
4075-861: Is generally popular among tourists and locals. In 2007, six of the top ten buildings in the American Institute of Architects ' ranking of America's Favorite Architecture were in the city: the White House , Washington National Cathedral , the Jefferson Memorial , the United States Capitol , the Lincoln Memorial , and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial . The neoclassical , Georgian , Gothic , and Modern styles are reflected among these six structures and many other prominent edifices in
4238-494: Is water. The district is bordered by Montgomery County, Maryland , to the northwest; Prince George's County, Maryland , to the east; Arlington County, Virginia , to the west; and Alexandria, Virginia , to the south. The south bank of the Potomac River forms the district's border with Virginia and has two major tributaries, the Anacostia River and Rock Creek . Tiber Creek , a natural watercourse that once passed through
4401-460: The 1968 World Series , between Detroit and St. Louis . This rendition started contemporary "Star-Spangled Banner" controversies. The response from many in the Vietnam War -era U.S. was generally negative. Despite the controversy, Feliciano's performance opened the door for the countless interpretations of the "Star-Spangled Banner" heard in the years since. One week after Feliciano's performance,
4564-602: The American Civil War in 1861 led to the expansion of the federal government and notable growth in the city's population, including a large influx of freed slaves. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act in 1862, which ended slavery in the district, freeing about 3,100 slaves in the district nine months before the Emancipation Proclamation . In 1868, Congress granted
4727-607: The American Colonization Society 's practice of buying slaves and setting them free in what is now Liberia . Key's poem, according to Clague, "in no way glorifies or celebrates slavery ." However, Clague's interpretation of the song has been criticised for going against mainstream academic historical consensus, as the majority of recent scholars who have written about slavery during the War of 1812, such as Gene A. Smith , Marc Leepson and David Roediger have alleged that Key
4890-435: The Anacostia River to the east. Washington, D.C.'s street grid was extended, where possible, throughout the district starting in 1888. Georgetown's streets were renamed in 1895. Some streets are particularly noteworthy, including Pennsylvania Avenue , which connects the White House to the Capitol; and K Street, which houses the offices of many lobbying groups. Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue , located on
5053-513: The Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia . The Key House was purchased by lawyer Hugh T. Taggart after Dewey convinced him to save the building, and the association decorated the exterior with U.S. flags and a portrait of Key. The house opened to the public after a dedication on February 23, 1908. A few months later on Flag Day , a memorial service was held at the house, which included speeches and
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5216-595: The British Empire is defeated. This interpretation is consistent with what Celticist Michael Newton has written about how, during the American Revolution , "slavery" and "oppression" were routinely used as Patriot code words for continued "British rule" over the United States . Also according to Clague, Francis Scott Key freed four of the seven slaves he inherited and was involved in his later years with
5379-499: The British military during the war, as Britain offered them freedom and the opportunity to join the Corps of Colonial Marines to fight against U.S. forces. Key was also a slaveholder throughout much of his life, and "white freedom and white lives were what mattered" to Key. According to The Nation , Key's "message to the blacks fighting for freedom was unmistakable—we will hunt you down and
5542-749: The Canadian and U.S. national anthems at games that involve teams from both countries (with the "away" anthem being performed first). It is also usual for both U.S. and Canadian anthems (done in the same way as the NHL and MLS) to be played at Major League Baseball and National Basketball Association games involving the Toronto Blue Jays and the Toronto Raptors respectively, the only Canadian teams in those two major U.S. sports leagues, and in All Star Games on
5705-538: The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park , the National Mall and Memorial Parks , Theodore Roosevelt Island , Columbia Island , Fort Dupont Park , Meridian Hill Park , Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens , and Anacostia Park . The District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation maintains the city's 900 acres (3.6 km ) of athletic fields and playgrounds, 40 swimming pools, and 68 recreation centers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture operates
5868-469: The Francis Scott Key Memorial opened near the Key House site. In 1795, real estate developer and merchant Thomas Clarke built a brick house on Bridge Street , present-day M Street NW , in Georgetown , a separate municipality of Washington, D.C. , at the time. The home was perched on a slope beside the Potomac River . It was three-and-a-half stories tall and it faced the river; the façade
6031-568: The House of Representatives in 2021 but was not adopted by the U.S. Senate . To become law it would have to be passed by the Senate and signed by president; it would have renamed the city Washington, Douglas Commonwealth and shrunk the Federal District to about the size of the national mall. Designed in 1791 by Pierre Charles L'Enfant , the city is divided into quadrants , which are centered around
6194-611: The International Monetary Fund , the Organization of American States , and other international organizations. Home to many of the nation's largest industry associations, non-profit organizations, and think tanks , D.C. is known as a lobbying hub, with K Street as the industry center. The city had 20.7 million domestic visitors and 1.2 million international visitors, ranking seventh among U.S. cities as of 2022. The Algonquian -speaking Piscataway people , also known as
6357-629: The MLB , NBA , and NHL . The Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League , which play in a city on the Canada–US border and have a substantial Canadian fan base, play both anthems before all home games regardless of where the visiting team is based. Two especially unusual performances of the song took place in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks . On September 12, 2001, Elizabeth II ,
6520-557: The Minden at the Georgetown port to travel to Baltimore in an attempt to secure the doctor's release. The two men arrived on September 7, 1814, and after several days of negotiations, were successful in retrieving Beanes. British forces would not let the men leave the city because the Battle of Baltimore was imminent and they didn't want American forces to learn of the plan. While being detained on
6683-611: The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved city plans to build a ramp from the Whitehurst Freeway to the Key Bridge. The federal government wanted a quick way for drivers to exit the city during World War II and a faster way to reach The Pentagon , and the house stood in the way of doing that. Speaking on the idea of what to do with the house, Interior Secretary Harold L. Ickes said "In view of
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6846-523: The National Mall , was fully enclosed underground during the 1870s. The creek also formed a portion of the now-filled Washington City Canal , which allowed passage through the city to the Anacostia River from 1815 until the 1850s. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal starts in Georgetown and was used during the 19th century to bypass the Little Falls of the Potomac River, located at the northwest edge of
7009-622: The National Museum of American History , a treasure of the Smithsonian Institution . It was restored in 1914 by Amelia Fowler , and again in 1998 as part of an ongoing conservation program. Aboard the ship that morning, Key began writing his lyrics on the back of a letter he had kept in his pocket. Late afternoon on September 16, Key, Skinner and Beanes were released from the fleet and they arrived in Baltimore that evening. He completed
7172-754: The Patapsco River and then south, down the Chesapeake Bay . As recorded in the British ships' logs, on September 6, they had rendezvoused with HMS Royal Oak and several British troopships near the mouth of the Patuxant . There they learned Beanes was aboard HMS Tonnant further down in the Bay. Rear Admiral Pulteney Malcolm assigned the frigate Hebrus to escort the American sloop to Tangier Island, where he thought Tonnant
7335-457: The SABR publication The Fenway Project . "The Star-Spangled Banner" has been performed regularly at the beginning of NFL games since the end of WWII by order of NFL commissioner Elmer Layden . The song has also been intermittently performed at baseball games since after WWI . The National Hockey League and Major League Soccer both require venues in both the U.S. and Canada to perform both
7498-594: The United States . The lyrics come from the " Defence of Fort M'Henry ", a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812 . Key was inspired by the large U.S. flag , with 15 stars and 15 stripes, known as the Star-Spangled Banner , flying triumphantly above
7661-635: The United States Code states that "[t]he composition consisting of the words and music known as the Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem." Although all four stanzas of the poem officially compose the National Anthem, only the first stanza is generally sung, the other three being much less well known. Before 1931, other songs served as the hymns of U.S. officialdom. " Hail, Columbia " served this purpose at official functions for most of
7824-600: The Washington Metro stations and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden are designed with strong influence from the 20th-century Brutalism movement. The Smithsonian Institution Building is built of Seneca red sandstone in the Norman Revival style. The Old Post Office building, located on Pennsylvania Avenue and completed in 1899, was the first building in the city to have a steel frame structure and
7987-582: The White House , the Capitol, the Supreme Court Building , and multiple federal departments and agencies . The city is home to many national monuments and museums , located most prominently on or around the National Mall , including the Jefferson Memorial , the Lincoln Memorial , and the Washington Monument . It hosts 177 foreign embassies and serves as the headquarters for the World Bank ,
8150-448: The "rockets' red glare", while the heavy-mortar bomb ships HMS Terror , Volcano , Devastation , Meteor and Aetna provided the "bombs bursting in air". Around 1,500 to 1,800 bomb shells and over 700 rockets were fired at the fort but with minimal casualties and damage being done. Four men died and 24 were wounded in the fort. The ships were forced to fire from their maximum range (with minimal accuracy) to stay out of range of
8313-472: The 179th anniversary of when The Star-Spangled Banner was written. Hundreds of people attended the dedication, which began at St. John's Episcopal Church, and ended at the memorial park. The event was attended by Dionne Warwick , E. G. Marshall , Sandi Patti , and Mayor Sharon Pratt . A flag with fifteen stars and stripes, the same number as the Star-Spangled flag, was raised at the site. The Key House
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#17328527695798476-540: The 1830s, the district's southern territory of Alexandria declined economically, due in part to its neglect by Congress. Alexandria was a major market in the domestic slave trade and pro-slavery residents feared that abolitionists in Congress would end slavery in the district . Alexandria's citizens petitioned Virginia to retake the land it had donated to form the district, a process known as retrocession . The Virginia General Assembly voted in February 1846, to accept
8639-431: The 19th century, and bands played it during public events such as Independence Day celebrations. A plaque displayed at Fort Meade , South Dakota , claims that the idea of making "The Star Spangled Banner" the national anthem began on their parade ground in 1892. Colonel Caleb Carlton, post commander, established the tradition that the song be played "at retreat and at the close of parades and concerts." Carlton explained
8802-567: The 19th century. " My Country, 'Tis of Thee ", whose melody is identical to " God Save the King ", the United Kingdom's national anthem, also served as a de facto national anthem. Following the War of 1812 and subsequent U.S. wars, other songs emerged to compete for popularity at public events, among them " America the Beautiful ", which itself was being considered before 1931 as a candidate to become
8965-463: The 446-acre (1.80 km ) United States National Arboretum in Northeast Washington, D.C. Washington's climate is humid subtropical ( Köppen : Cfa ), or oceanic ( Trewartha : Do bordering Cf downtown). Winters are cool to cold with some snow of varying intensity, while summers are hot and humid. The district is in plant hardiness zone 8a near downtown, and zone 7b elsewhere in
9128-526: The 9,122 acres (36.92 km ) of city land owned by the U.S. government. Rock Creek Park is a 1,754-acre (7.10 km ) urban forest in Northwest Washington, which extends 9.3 miles (15.0 km) through a stream valley that bisects the city. Established in 1890, it is the country's fourth-oldest national park and is home to a variety of plant and animal species, including raccoon, deer, owls, and coyotes. Other National Park Service properties include
9291-609: The CHS asked for the Key House to be moved to an empty lot on the east side of the bridge. A second plan was to move the Key House to a strip of land at 37th and Canal Streets NW. In 1948, Congress approved $ 65,000 (equivalent to $ 824,294 in 2023) in funding to have the house dismantled and moved to a new location, but this was vetoed by President Harry S. Truman after the Bureau of the Budget announced it would be too costly to rebuild and maintain
9454-464: The Canadas , the British set fire to government buildings in the city, gutting the United States Capitol , the Treasury Building , and the White House in what became known as the burning of Washington . However, a storm forced the British to evacuate the city after just 24 hours. Most government buildings were repaired quickly, but the Capitol, which was largely under construction at the time, would not be completed in its current form until 1868. In
9617-421: The Capitol Building and include 131 neighborhoods . As of the 2020 census , the city had a population of 689,545. Commuters from the city's Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the city's daytime population to more than one million during the workweek. The Washington metropolitan area , which includes parts of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia , is the country's seventh-largest metropolitan area , with
9780-399: The City of Washington in 1895. However, the city had poor housing and strained public works, leading it to become the first city in the nation to undergo urban renewal projects as part of the City Beautiful movement in the early 20th century. The City Beautiful movement built heavily upon the already-implemented L'Enfant Plan , with the new McMillan Plan leading urban development in
9943-410: The Conoy, inhabited the lands around the Potomac River and present-day Washington, D.C., when Europeans first arrived and colonized the region in the early 17th century. The Nacotchtank , also called the Nacostines by Catholic missionaries , maintained settlements around the Anacostia River in present-day Washington, D.C. Conflicts with European colonists and neighboring tribes ultimately displaced
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#173285276957910106-443: The Key House, government officials assured citizens the house would remain and be restored. During the Great Depression , raising funds to restore the house did not meet the $ 25,000 goal (equivalent to $ 555,583 in 2023). Ulysses S. Grant III , who served as director of the Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital, led the unsuccessful fundraising effort. Beginning in 1935, there were plans to dismantle
10269-436: The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand, Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation, Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land, Praise the Power that hath made and preserv'd us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto—"In God is our Trust;" And the star-spangled Banner in triumph shall wave, O'er
10432-438: The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Alternative lyrics In a version hand-written by Francis Scott Key in 1840, the third line reads: "Whose bright stars and broad stripes, through the clouds of the fight". Fifth stanza In 1861, poet Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. penned an unofficial fifth verse during the beginning of the American Civil War , looking hopefully at the emancipation of slaves . When our land
10595-441: The National Anthem at a football game, and her emotional, groundbreaking performance (one of the most critically acclaimed renditions of all time) led the Fox network to the highest ratings of any program in the company's history and remains so today. In 2016, Aretha Franklin performed a rendition before the nationally-televised Minnesota Vikings-Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day game lasting more than four minutes and featuring
10758-439: The National Gallery of Art (present-day Smithsonian American Art Museum ) a collection of her grandfather's belongings. Among the donated items were some of Key's furnishings and family portraits. In 1931, the National Park Service (NPS) purchased land and properties on the south side of M Street that were near the Key Bridge. The plan was to demolish the site's structures to create Palisades Park, but after locals argued to save
10921-400: The Piscataway people, some of whom established a new settlement in 1699 near Point of Rocks, Maryland . Nine cities served as capitals to the Continental Congress and under the Articles of Confederation . New York City was the first capital upon the adoption of the Constitution , succeeded by Philadelphia , which was capital from 1790 to 1800. On October 6, 1783, after the capital
11084-412: The Queen of the United Kingdom , broke with tradition and allowed the Band of the Coldstream Guards to perform the anthem at Buckingham Palace , London , at the ceremonial Changing of the Guard , as a gesture of support for Britain's ally. The following day at a St. Paul's Cathedral memorial service, the Queen joined in the singing of the anthem, an unprecedented occurrence. The Star Spangled Banner
11247-412: The U.S. House of Representatives. The city's voters choose three presidential electors in accordance with the Twenty-third Amendment , passed in 1961. Washington, D.C. anchors the southern end of the Northeast megalopolis . As the seat of the U.S. federal government , the city is an important world political capital . The city hosts the buildings that house federal government headquarters, including
11410-414: The United States. A particularly significant celebration occurred during the week of September 10–16 in and around Baltimore, Maryland. Highlights included playing of a new arrangement of the anthem arranged by John Williams and participation of President Barack Obama on Defenders Day , September 12, 2014, at Fort McHenry. In addition, the anthem bicentennial included a youth music celebration including
11573-427: The anthem was in the news again when U.S. athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos lifted controversial raised fists at the 1968 Olympics while the "Star-Spangled Banner" played at a medal ceremony . Rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix often included a solo instrumental performance at concerts from 1968 to his death in 1970. Using high gain and distortion amplification effects and the vibrato arm on his guitar, Hendrix
11736-498: The area. Blizzards affect Washington once every four to six years on average. The most violent storms, known as nor'easters , often impact large regions of the East Coast . From January 27 to 28, 1922 , the city officially received 28 inches (71 cm) of snowfall, the largest snowstorm since official measurements began in 1885. According to notes kept at the time, the city received between 30 and 36 inches (76 and 91 cm) from
11899-581: The borders of the federal district and placed boundary stones at every mile point; many of these stones are still standing. Both Maryland and Virginia were slave states , and slavery existed in the District from its founding. The building of Washington likely relied in significant part on slave labor, and slave receipts have been found for the White House, Capitol Building, and establishment of Georgetown University. The city became an important slave market and
12062-448: The building and replacing it with a memorial fountain or obelisk . The NPS opposed this plan and insisted it would be capable of restoring the building. In April 1935, the NPS revealed their plan to restore it at a cost of $ 55,000. The Key House remained unchanged through the following year, by which time all other buildings had been demolished. A NPS official, Stuart M. Barnette, said the house
12225-458: The city , primarily in the U ;Street, 14th Street, 7th Street, and H Street corridors, which were predominantly black residential and commercial areas. The riots raged for three days until more than 13,600 federal troops and Washington, D.C., Army National Guardsmen stopped the violence. Many stores and other buildings were burned, and rebuilding from the riots was not completed until
12388-472: The city at the Atlantic Seaboard fall line . The highest natural elevation in the district is 409 feet (125 m) above sea level at Fort Reno Park in upper northwest Washington, D.C. The lowest point is sea level at the Potomac River. The geographic center of Washington is near the intersection of 4th and L streets NW. The district has 7,464 acres (30.21 km ) of parkland, about 19% of
12551-537: The city but bankrupted its government. In 1874, Congress replaced the territorial government with an appointed three-member board of commissioners. In 1888, the city's first motorized streetcars began service. Their introduction generated growth in areas of the district beyond the City of Washington's original boundaries, leading to an expansion of the district over the next few decades. Georgetown's street grid and other administrative details were formally merged with those of
12714-806: The city throughout the movement. Much of the old Victorian Mall was replaced with modern Neoclassical and Beaux-Arts architecture ; these designs are still prevalent in the city's governmental buildings today. Increased federal spending under the New Deal in the 1930s led to the construction of new government buildings, memorials, and museums in the district, though the chairman of the House Subcommittee on District Appropriations, Ross A. Collins of Mississippi , justified cuts to funds for welfare and education for local residents by saying that "my constituents wouldn't stand for spending money on niggers." World War II led to an expansion of federal employees in
12877-696: The city's classical-style architecture include buildings constructed in the French Second Empire style, including the Eisenhower Executive Office Building , and the modernist Watergate complex . The Thomas Jefferson Building , the main Library of Congress building, and the historic Willard Hotel are built in Beaux-Arts style , popular throughout the world in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Meridian Hill Park contains
13040-416: The city's total area, the second-highest among high-density U.S. cities after Philadelphia . The city's sizable parkland was a factor in the city being ranked as third in the nation for park access and quality in the 2018 ParkScore ranking of the park systems of the nation's 100 most populous cities, according to Trust for Public Land , a non-profit organization. The National Park Service manages most of
13203-421: The city, was then tasked with completing its design. Though Ellicott revised the original L'Enfant plans, including changing some street patterns, L'Enfant is still credited with the city's overall design. By the early 20th century, however, L'Enfant's vision of a grand national capital was marred by slums and randomly placed buildings in the city, including a railroad station on the National Mall. Congress formed
13366-408: The city. Summers are hot and humid with a July daily average of 79.8 °F (26.6 °C) and average daily relative humidity around 66%, which can cause moderate personal discomfort. Heat indices regularly approach 100 °F (38 °C) at the height of summer. The combination of heat and humidity in the summer brings very frequent thunderstorms, some of which occasionally produce tornadoes in
13529-530: The city. Many of the government buildings, monuments, and museums along the National Mall and surrounding areas are heavily inspired by classical Roman and Greek architecture. The designs of the White House, the U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court Building , Washington Monument , National Gallery of Art , Lincoln Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial are all heavily drawn from these classical architectural movements and feature large pediments, domes, columns in classical order, and heavy stone walls. Notable exceptions to
13692-462: The city. Precipitation occurs throughout the year. The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on August 6, 1918, and on July 20, 1930. The lowest recorded temperature was −15 °F (−26 °C) on February 11, 1899 , right before the Great Blizzard of 1899 . During a typical year, the city averages about 37 days at or above 90 °F (32 °C) and 64 nights at or below
13855-654: The city; by 1950, the district's population reached its peak of 802,178 residents. The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified in 1961, granting the district three votes in the Electoral College for the election of president and vice president, but still not affording the city's residents representation in Congress. After the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, riots broke out in
14018-434: The courage of the American soldiers, both black and white, who helped defend the fortress and the city. The controversial phrase, "the hireling and the slave", according to Clague, actually refers to British armed forces personnel and their American collaborators regardless of race, who are promised either death on the battlefield or, similarly to United Empire Loyalists after the American Revolution , permanent exile once
14181-652: The court buildings, but he did keep an office in a wing of the Bridge Street house until 1843. From 1833 to 1840, he served as District Attorney for the City of Washington , where he repeatedly argued in defense of slavery and to restrict the abolitionist movement, even going so far as to restricting their free speech. In the case United States v. Reuben Crandall , Key was unsuccessful in his attempt to stop abolitionists from distributing literature. The result humiliated Key and he left public life during his remaining years. After
14344-405: The creation of the capital district along the Potomac River. The city was founded in 1791, and the 6th Congress held the first session in the unfinished Capitol Building in 1800 after the capital moved from Philadelphia . In 1801, the District of Columbia, formerly part of Maryland and Virginia and including the existing settlements of Georgetown and Alexandria , was officially recognized as
14507-527: The custom to Governor Sheldon of South Dakota who "promised me that he would try to have the custom established among the state militia." Carlton wrote that after a similar discussion, Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont issued an order that it "be played at every Army post every evening at retreat." In 1889, the U.S. Navy officially adopted "The Star-Spangled Banner". In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered that "The Star-Spangled Banner" be played at military and other appropriate occasions. The playing of
14670-550: The dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming? And the Rockets' red glare, the Bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our Flag was still there; O! say does that star-spangled Banner yet wave, O'er the Land of
14833-492: The dismantled pieces, but over time, the pile grew smaller until there was nothing left. NPS historian Barry Mackintosh said, "After the reconstruction prospects died, so did much incentive for the Park Service to zealously guard the brick pile." It's believed some of the parts were used when restoring the nearby Old Stone House , and Quality Hill allegedly incorporates the Key House doorway. A planned memorial plaque or flagpole
14996-400: The district with a total area of about 3.1 million square feet (288,000 m ). Washington Union Station is designed in a combination of architectural styles. Its Great Hall has elaborate gold leaf designs along the ceilings and the hall includes several decorative classical-style statues. The Star-Spangled Banner " The Star-Spangled Banner " is the national anthem of
15159-480: The district's African American male residents the right to vote in municipal elections. By 1870, the district's population had grown 75% in a decade to nearly 132,000 people, yet the city still lacked paved roads and basic sanitation. Some members of Congress suggested moving the capital farther west, but President Ulysses S. Grant refused to consider the proposal. In the Organic Act of 1871 , Congress repealed
15322-598: The east and north of the Potomac and the County of Alexandria to the west and south. After the Act's passage, citizens in the district were no longer considered residents of Maryland or Virginia, which ended their representation in Congress. On August 24, 1814, during the War of 1812 , British forces invaded and occupied the city after defeating an American force at Bladensburg . In retaliation for acts of destruction by American troops in
15485-535: The establishment of a "District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States". However, the constitution does not specify a location for the capital. In the Compromise of 1790 , Madison, Alexander Hamilton , and Thomas Jefferson agreed that the federal government would pay each state's remaining Revolutionary War debts in exchange for establishing
15648-551: The federal district was a square measuring 10 miles (16 km) on each side and totaling 100 square miles (259 km ). Two pre-existing settlements were included in the territory, the port of Georgetown , founded in 1751, and the port city of Alexandria, Virginia , founded in 1749. In 1791 and 1792, a team led by Andrew Ellicott , including Ellicott's brothers Joseph and Benjamin and African American astronomer Benjamin Banneker , whose parents had been enslaved, surveyed
15811-408: The federal district; initially, the city was a separate settlement within the larger district. In 1846, Congress returned the land originally ceded by Virginia , including the city of Alexandria. In 1871, it created a single municipality for the remaining portion of the district. There have been several unsuccessful efforts to make the district into a state since the 1880s; a statehood bill passed
15974-666: The first to use electrical wiring in its design. Notable contemporary residential buildings, restaurants, shops, and office buildings in the city include the Wharf on the Southwest Waterfront , Navy Yard along the Anacostia River , and CityCenterDC in Downtown . The Wharf has seen the construction of several high-rise office and residential buildings overlooking the Potomac River . Additionally, restaurants, bars, and shops have been opened at street level. Many of these buildings have
16137-561: The fort after the battle. The poem was set to the tune of a popular British song written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society , a social club in London . Smiths' song, " To Anacreon in Heaven " (or "The Anacreontic Song"), with various lyrics, was already popular in the United States. This setting, renamed "The Star-Spangled Banner", soon became a popular patriotic song. With
16300-421: The fort's formidable cannon fire. Key was inspired by the U.S. victory and the sight of the large U.S. flag flying triumphantly above the fort. This flag (as well as the storm flag), with 15 stars and 15 stripes, had been made by Mary Young Pickersgill together with other workers in her home on Baltimore's Pratt Street. The flag later came to be known as the Star-Spangled Banner , and is today on display in
16463-405: The fort's smaller "storm flag" (17 by 25 feet (5.2 by 7.6 m)) continued to fly, but once the bomb and Congreve rocket barrage had stopped, he would not know how the battle had turned out until dawn. On the morning of September 14, the storm flag had been lowered and the large garrison flag (30 by 42 feet (9.1 by 12.8 m)) had been raised. During the bombardment, HMS Erebus provided
16626-436: The free and the home of the brave? On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected now shines on the stream, 'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave O'er
16789-404: The freezing mark (32 °F or 0 °C). On average, the first day with a minimum at or below freezing is November 18 and the last day is March 27. Washington, D.C., was a planned city , and many of the city's street grids were developed in that initial plan. In 1791, President George Washington commissioned Pierre Charles L'Enfant , a French-born military engineer and artist, to design
16952-436: The group. During the next few years, over $ 500,000 was raised, but the group needed an additional $ 800,000 in 1990 to complete the project. The plan was to overhaul the site's landscaping, which included planting 12,000 lilies, in addition to new irrigation, lighting, and a pergola . After raising $ 1.5 million for construction and a bronze bust of Key, the Francis Scott Key Memorial was officially opened on September 14, 1993,
17115-468: The highway to be built slightly north, which would have resulted in the Georgetown Car Barn being demolished. The CHS also wanted its headquarters moved into the Key House, at a cost of $ 100,000. (equivalent to $ 2,174,822 in 2023) Members of the group who supported this idea included Associate Supreme Court Justice Harold H. Burton and prominent locals. The plan was rejected, and as a compromise,
17278-452: The house and move the original building materials elsewhere. This idea was opposed by a collection of local officials and citizens, including Key's great-grandson, Francis Scott Key-Smith. There had been so many radical changes to the Key House that it was considered wasteful and unnecessary to save. Key-Smith said, "I do not believe, taking the proper definition of the word 'restore', the building can be restored." Key-Smith suggested demolishing
17441-408: The house became a blacksmith shop and dry-goods store. "THE KEY MANSION" was painted in large black letters on the façade, in an attempt to draw in visitors who would shop at the store. Additional commercial properties were constructed on either side of the house, and the Georgetown Car Barn was built across the street, further changing the area from residential to commercial and industrial. In 1907,
17604-478: The importance of the proposed highway project and the fact that approximately 50% of the structure has been altered and is not original, it is recommended that the house be demolished and that an appropriate marker be placed on or near the site." A few years later, local preservationists, including the Columbia Historical Society (CHS), fought to save the house from the wrecking ball. The group wanted
17767-436: The individual charters of the cities of Washington and Georgetown , abolished Washington County , and created a new territorial government for the whole District of Columbia. These steps made "the city of Washington...legally indistinguishable from the District of Columbia." In 1873, President Grant appointed Alexander Robey Shepherd as Governor of the District of Columbia. Shepherd authorized large projects that modernized
17930-431: The kitchen and dining room. Key and his wife moved there in 1805 and raised their 11 children in the house; during this time, he wrote the poem that would later be expanded and turned into the national anthem, " The Star-Spangled Banner ". The Keys moved after the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was built directly behind their house, although Francis continued using the one-story addition as office space. The house later became
18093-427: The land of the free and the home of the brave. And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion, A home and a country should leave us no more? Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave, From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave, And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave, O'er
18256-487: The late 1990s. In 1973, Congress enacted the District of Columbia Home Rule Act providing for an elected mayor and 13-member council for the district. In 1975, Walter Washington became the district's first elected and first black mayor. Since the 1980s, the D.C. statehood movement has grown in prominence. In 2016, a referendum on D.C. statehood resulted in an 85% support among Washington, D.C., voters for it to become
18419-479: The morning of September 4. He located Col. John Stuart Skinner, an American agent for prisoners of war, who leased a 60-foot (18.3 m) sloop-rigged packet ship belonging to John and Benjamin Ferguson, brothers who owned a cargo and passenger service between Baltimore and Norfolk. The ship had a nine-man crew and was captained by a co-owner, John Ferguson. They sailed from Baltimore the next day (September 5) out through
18582-407: The motto. The song is notoriously difficult for nonprofessionals to sing because of its wide range – a twelfth . Humorist Richard Armour referred to the song's difficulty in his book It All Started With Columbus : In an attempt to take Baltimore, the British attacked Fort McHenry, which protected the harbor. Bombs were soon bursting in air, rockets were glaring, and all in all it
18745-491: The name Washington, Douglas Commonwealth (thus keeping the same abbreviation Washington, D.C.). The legalities, reasons, and impact of statehood have been heavily debated in the 2020s. Washington, D.C., is located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. East Coast . The city has a total area of 68.34 square miles (177 km ), of which 61.05 square miles (158.1 km ) is land and 7.29 square miles (18.9 km ) (10.67%)
18908-499: The nation's 51st state . In March 2017, the city's congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced a bill for statehood. Reintroduced in 2019 and 2021 as the Washington, D.C., Admission Act , the U.S. House of Representatives passed it in April 2021. After not progressing in the Senate, the statehood bill was introduced again in January 2023. The bill would have made D.C. into a state with one representative and two senators, with
19071-559: The national anthem before every baseball game began in World War II . Between 1918 and 1929, John Charles Linthicum , the U.S. congressman from Maryland at the time, introduced a series of six unsuccessful bills to officially recognize "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the national anthem. In 1927, with the thought that "The Star-Spangled Banner" was unsuited for a national anthem, the National Federation of Music Clubs sponsored
19234-469: The national anthem of the United States. In the fourth verse, Key's 1814 published version of the poem is written as, "And this be our motto-"In God is our trust!"" In 1956 when ' In God We Trust ' was under consideration to be adopted as the national motto of the United States by the US Congress, the words of the fourth verse of The Star Spangled Banner were brought up in arguments supporting adoption of
19397-428: The national anthem of the United States. For his contribution of the poem, Key became a well-known figure in American history. After the war concluded, Key continued to practice law. The Key family and the people they enslaved left Georgetown in 1830 when the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (C&O Canal) and its boat traffic opened directly behind their house. They moved to Judiciary Square , so that Key could be closer to
19560-496: The new capital. He enlisted the help of Isaac Roberdeau, Étienne Sulpice Hallet and Scottish surveyor Alexander Ralston to help lay out the city plan. The L'Enfant Plan featured broad streets and avenues radiating out from rectangles, providing room for open space and landscaping. L'Enfant was also provided a roll of maps by Thomas Jefferson depicting Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Strasbourg, Paris, Orleans, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Turin, and Milan. L'Enfant's design also envisioned
19723-580: The new national capital in the Southern United States . On July 9, 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act , which approved the creation of a national capital on the Potomac River . Under the Residence Act, the exact location was to be selected by President George Washington , who signed the bill into law on July 16, 1790. Formed from land donated by Maryland and Virginia, the initial shape of
19886-541: The north and south sides of the National Mall, respectively, are home to many of Washington's iconic museums, including many Smithsonian Institution buildings and the National Archives Building . Washington hosts 177 foreign embassies ; these maintain nearly 300 buildings and more than 1,600 residential properties, many of which are on a section of Massachusetts Avenue informally known as Embassy Row . The architecture of Washington, D.C., varies greatly and
20049-404: The number of blocks away from the Capitol. Most streets are set out in a grid pattern with east–west streets named with letters (e.g., C Street SW), north–south streets with numbers (e.g., 4th Street NW), and diagonal avenues, many of which are named after states . The City of Washington was bordered on the north by Boundary Street (renamed Florida Avenue in 1890); Rock Creek to the west, and
20212-482: The only times the national anthem has been on the Billboard Hot 100 ). Roseanne Barr gave a controversial performance of the anthem at a San Diego Padres baseball game at Jack Murphy Stadium on July 25, 1990. The comedian belted out a screechy rendition of the song, and afterward, she mocked ballplayers by spitting and grabbing her crotch as if adjusting a protective cup . The performance offended some, including
20375-426: The opening of the canal, the neighborhood around the house became an industrial area. In the years following Key's death in 1843, the house was owned by his heirs for ten years. It was sold and later became a hotel and restaurant during the Civil War , with a blacksmith shop located in the adjoining building. It's possible the owner during this time is the one who first modified the building's exterior, converting one of
20538-502: The original house had been demolished and replaced with a new building. When the Key Bridge opened in 1923, it was apparent the house might not survive. This came to pass in the 1940s with the construction of an exit ramp from the Whitehurst Freeway to the Key Bridge. The building was disassembled with plans to rebuild it somewhere else, but during the next several decades, all of the items were used in other buildings or stolen. In 1993,
20701-634: The plans for the attack on Baltimore, they were prevented from going ashore until after the battle, several days later. From Tonnant , Key, Skinner, and Beanes were transferred to the frigate HMS Surprise on the morning of September 8. The fleet then slowly moved up the Chesapeake toward Baltimore. The truce vessel was in tow with Surprise . On September 11, off the North Point peninsula, Colonel Skinner insisted that they be transferred back to their own truce vessel, which they were allowed to do, under guard. It
20864-529: The poem at the Indian Queen Hotel , where he was staying, His finished manuscript was untitled and unsigned. When printed as a broadside, the next day, it was given the title "Defence of Fort M'Henry". It was first published nationally in The Analectic Magazine . Much of the idea of the poem, including the flag imagery and some of the wording, is derived from an earlier song by Key, also set to
21027-555: The popular melody " The Anacreontic Song ", by English composer John Stafford Smith . This was the official song of the Anacreontic Society , an 18th-century gentlemen's club of amateur musicians in London. Nicholson took the poem to a printer in Baltimore, who anonymously made the first known broadside printing on September 17; of these, two known copies survive. On September 20, both the Baltimore Patriot and The American printed
21190-539: The presentation of the National Anthem Bicentennial Youth Challenge winning composition written by Noah Altshuler. The first popular music performance of the anthem heard by the mainstream U.S. was by Puerto Rican singer and guitarist José Feliciano . He created a nationwide uproar when he strummed a slow, blues -style rendition of the song at Tiger Stadium in Detroit before game five of
21353-474: The property. The house had a gabled roof and two large brick chimneys. In addition to the main house, there was an outhouse, smokehouse, and coach house. The house was three bays wide and featured dormer windows. One of the windows on the first floor was later renovated into a second entrance. The exterior walls of the house were said to be 2 ft (0.61 m) thick while interior walls were 18 in (46 cm) thick. The chimneys were so large that one could allegedly build
21516-694: The raised fourth which became the standard deviation from "The Anacreontic Song". The song's popularity increased and its first public performance took place in October when Baltimore actor Ferdinand Durang sang it at Captain McCauley's tavern . Washington Irving , then editor of the Analectic Magazine in Philadelphia, reprinted the song in November 1814. By the early 20th century, there were various versions of
21679-419: The return of Alexandria. On July 9, 1846, Congress went further, agreeing to return all territory that Virginia had ceded to the district during its formation. This left the district's area consisting only of the portion originally donated by Maryland. Confirming the fears of pro-slavery Alexandrians, the Compromise of 1850 outlawed the slave trade in the district, although not slavery itself. The outbreak of
21842-407: The search will leave you in terror because, when we find you, your next stop is the gloom of the grave". The reference to slaves, which was perceived as being racist towards Black Americans , purportedly prevented the song being adopted as the U.S. national anthem for almost a century. Conversely, University of Michigan professor Mark Clague and Key's biographer has claimed that the poem celebrates
22005-524: The sitting U.S. president, George H. W. Bush . Steven Tyler also caused some controversy in 2001 (at the Indianapolis 500 , to which he later issued a public apology) and again in 2012 (at the AFC Championship Game ) with a cappella renditions of the song with changed lyrics. At Super Bowl XLVIII 's pre-game ceremonies in 2014, soprano Renée Fleming became the first opera singer to perform
22168-452: The song in popular use. Seeking a singular, standard version, President Woodrow Wilson tasked the U.S. Bureau of Education with providing that official version. In response, the Bureau enlisted the help of five musicians to agree upon an arrangement. Those musicians were Walter Damrosch , Will Earhart , Arnold J. Gantvoort, Oscar Sonneck and John Philip Sousa . The standardized version that
22331-472: The song prior to Super Bowl XLV , replacing the song's fourth line, "o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming", with an alteration of the second line, "what so proudly we watched at the twilight's last gleaming". Other times the issue is avoided by having the performer(s) play the anthem instrumentally instead of singing it. The pre-recording of the anthem has become standard practice at some ballparks, such as Boston 's Fenway Park , according to
22494-558: The song the official national anthem of the United States, which President Herbert Hoover signed into law. The resolution is now codified at 36 U.S.C. § 301(a) . On August 28, 1814, William Beanes, a physician who resided in Upper Marlboro, Maryland , was arrested by British forces in his home after the Burning of Washington and the Raid on Alexandria . A friend of Key's, Beanes
22657-585: The song two years later during the seventh-inning stretch of Game One of the 1918 World Series , and thereafter during each game of the series is often cited as the first instance that the anthem was played at a baseball game, though evidence shows that the "Star-Spangled Banner" was performed as early as 1897 at Opening Day ceremonies in Philadelphia and then more regularly at the Polo Grounds in New York City beginning in 1898. The tradition of performing
22820-525: The song, stating that ''I'm a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn't strike the intended tone". In March 2005, a government-sponsored program, the National Anthem Project , was launched after a Harris Interactive poll showed many adults knew neither the lyrics nor the history of the anthem. "The Star-Spangled Banner" has four verses, although the second through fourth verses are not commonly performed. O! say can you see by
22983-459: The song, with the note "Tune: Anacreon in Heaven". The song quickly became popular; it was ultimately printed in 17 newspapers from Georgia to New Hampshire. Soon after, Thomas Carr of the Carr Music Store in Baltimore published the words and music together under the title "The Star Spangled Banner", although it was originally called "Defence of Fort M'Henry". Thomas Carr's arrangement introduced
23146-597: The structure." After the NPS purchased the C&;O Canal in 1939, one plan for the Key House was to turn it into a recreation center and boating facility so that tourists could ride boats on the canal. The NPS shared this idea with members of the public, some of whom supported it, including the Progressive Citizens Association of Georgetown and the Georgetown Citizens Association. Ultimately,
23309-616: The tune of " The Anacreontic Song ". The song, known as "When the Warrior Returns", was written in honor of Stephen Decatur and Charles Stewart on their return from the First Barbary War . Since the 1990s, the anthem has become controversial due to perceived racism in the anthem's lyrics and Key's involvement in slavery . The anthem's third stanza uses the phrase "the hireling and slave", which had been interpreted by several commentators to refer to American slaves who escaped to
23472-532: The width of the adjacent street plus 20 feet (6.1 m). Despite popular belief, no law has ever limited buildings to the height of the United States Capitol or the 555-foot (169 m) Washington Monument , which remains the district's tallest structure. City leaders have cited the height restriction as a primary reason that the district has limited affordable housing and its metro area has suburban sprawl and traffic problems. Washington, D.C., still has
23635-430: The windows to a second door. During the next several decades, the Key House continued to be used for commercial purposes. It again served as a hotel starting in 1896, with The Washington Post writing the owner was "anxious to preserve the historical house", but also planned to add two stories to the house and a four-story adjoining building, and removal of the house's chimney. The hotel renovations never took place, and
23798-419: Was a poetic name for the United States commonly used at that time. Congress held its first session there on November 17, 1800. Congress passed the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801 , which officially organized the district and placed the entire territory under the exclusive control of the federal government. The area within the district was organized into two counties, the County of Washington to
23961-427: Was a brick colonial ; it was two-and-a-half stories tall facing the street, and three-and-a-half stories in the back. The back of the house, which included a framed porch, faced a descending hill that included a garden where Key grew plants that were in the shape of his children's names. A one-story addition used for office space was located on the west side of the house. When it was built, there were still large trees on
24124-450: Was a moment of great historical interest. During the bombardment, a young lawyer named Francis Off Key [ sic ] wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner", and when, by the dawn's early light, the British heard it sung, they fled in terror. Professional and amateur singers have been known to forget the words, which is one reason the song is sometimes pre-recorded and lip-synced . Pop singer Christina Aguilera performed wrong lyrics to
24287-522: Was able to simulate the sounds of rockets and bombs at the points when the lyrics are normally heard. One such performance at the Woodstock music festival in 1969 was a highlight of the event's 1970 documentary film , becoming "part of the sixties Zeitgeist ". When asked about negative reactions to his "unorthodox" treatment of the anthem, Hendrix, who served briefly in the U.S. Army, responded "I'm American so I played it ... Unorthodox? I thought it
24450-500: Was accused of aiding the detention of several British Army stragglers who were ransacking local homesteads in search of food. On September 2, 1814, Key wrote a letter from his home in Georgetown to his mother, ending with: I am going in the morning to Baltimore to proceed in a flag-vessel to Genl Ross. Old Dr Beanes of Marlbro' is taken prisoner by the Enemy, who threaten to carry him off – Some of his friends have urged me to apply for
24613-444: Was another long hallway on the second floor that led to two bedrooms. There were four bedrooms on the third floor. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C. , is the capital city and federal district of the United States . The city is on the Potomac River , across from Virginia , and shares land borders with Maryland to its north and east. It
24776-507: Was beautiful, but there you go." The Woodstock version by Jimi Hendrix was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009. Marvin Gaye gave a soul -influenced performance at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game and Whitney Houston gave a soulful rendition before Super Bowl XXV in 1991, which was released as a single that charted at number 20 in 1991 and number 6 in 2001 (along with José Feliciano ,
24939-564: Was forced by the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783 to move to Princeton, Congress resolved to consider a new location for it. The following day, Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts moved "that buildings for the use of Congress be erected on the banks of the Delaware near Trenton , or of the Potomac , near Georgetown , provided a suitable district can be procured on one of the rivers as aforesaid, for
25102-555: Was heavily involved with St. John's Episcopal Church 's activities. While living in the house, the War of 1812 brought destruction to the area when the British attacked the nation's capital, burning many landmarks , including the White House . While serving in the Georgetown Light Infantry in 1814, as the war continued, Key learned of a doctor, William Beanes, who had been arrested by British troops and taken to Baltimore . Key and an officer from Maryland left by boat on
25265-584: Was located. On September 7, around noon, they spotted Tonnant near the mouth of the Potomac . The flagship then anchored and brought Key and Skinner aboard. It was aboard Tonnant , after dinner, that Skinner and Key secured the release of Beanes after conversing with Major-General Robert Ross and Vice-Admiral Alexander Cochrane . Ross initially refused to release Beanes, but relented after reading letters, brought by Key, written by wounded British prisoners of war praising American doctors for their kind treatment. Because Key and Skinner had overheard details of
25428-439: Was named after George Washington , the first president of the United States . The district is named after Columbia , the female personification of the nation . The U.S. Constitution in 1789 called for the creation of a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress . As such, Washington, D.C., is not part of any state , and is not one itself. The Residence Act , adopted on July 16, 1790, approved
25591-478: Was played by the Coldstream Guards again at Windsor Castle on the 20th anniversary of the attacks. During the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests , the anthem was sung by protesters demonstrating outside the U.S. consulate-general in an appeal to the U.S. government to help them with their cause. The 200th anniversary of the "Star-Spangled Banner" occurred in 2014 with various special events occurring throughout
25754-399: Was referencing only American runaway slaves rather than late stage American Loyalists in the passage. In 2016, The New Yorker argued that "[is] The Star-Spangled Banner" racist? The short answer is yes, insofar as almost every older piece of American iconography cannot be rid of the stain of slavery." Key gave the poem to his brother-in-law Joseph H. Nicholson who saw that the words fit
25917-478: Was still tethered to Surprise . Admiral Cochrane then transferred his flag to the shallow-draft Surprise so he could move in with the bombardment squadron. Having advanced into the Patapsco River, the 16-ship attack force began to fire on Fort McHenry at sunrise on September 13; the bombardment would last 25 hours. During the rainy day and through the night, Key had witnessed the bombardment and observed that
26080-490: Was to be installed by the NPS at the original site, but this did not occur. During the 1980s, a group of Georgetown Citizens formed the Francis Scott Key Park Foundation Inc. Its goal was to create a memorial park behind the Key House site because it would be a "fitting place to honor Key and provide an impressive gateway to the District." In 1986, Congress authorized that the memorial should be built by
26243-415: Was too different from the original design to warrant the cost of restoration. He also stated: "Only two things...would justify the restoration of any ancient structure reduced to the present physical state of the Key House...historical significance and architectural importance" and "It is my opinion that neither the ruins are of great architectural importance, nor was the man great whose name is associated with
26406-531: Was two-and-a-half stories. Francis Scott Key , a lawyer born in Frederick, Maryland , moved to Georgetown in 1805 with his wife, Mary Taylor Lloyd, when he began working for the firm of his wealthy uncle, Philip Barton Key I. In late 1805, the Keys moved into the house at 3518 Bridge Street. The couple raised their eleven children while living in the house. In addition to his legal work, Key participated in civil affairs and
26569-533: Was voted upon by these five musicians premiered at Carnegie Hall on December 5, 1917, in a program that included Edward Elgar 's Carillon and Gabriel Pierné 's The Children's Crusade . The concert was put on by the Oratorio Society of New York and conducted by Walter Damrosch . An official handwritten version of the final votes of these five men has been found and shows all five men's votes tallied, measure by measure. The song gained popularity throughout
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