First Printing of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' Goes to Auction at a Fraught Time-- Part 1

From the June 2, 2020, WBUR by Andrea Shea.

"We all know  the words penned by Francis Scott Key more than 200 years ago.  As school children, we sang about the dawn's early light and the rockets red glare.  We've heard countless celebrities and millions of sports fan belt it out how--even through it all-- our flag was still there.

"Professional football players (and many others) have refused to participate in that tradition as an act of cultural dissent  against racial  oppression and police-involved killings of unarmed black Americans.  Now, after a pain-filled weekend of peaceful-turned-violent protests against enduring racial  injustice  and deadly inequality, people across the nation are stoking questions about what freedom and patriotism mean in 2020."

But, now, one of the few original newspaper printings of Keys' lyrics are going up for auction online at Christie's Auction House.  It opens for bid on June 2 and runs through June 18.

The American Antiquarian Society in Worcester owns two of the three original copies known to exist.  They are putting one up for sale and never would have believed this would happen at the same time as a pandemic and wide spread social unrest.

What is at auction is a September 20, 1814, copy of the Baltimore Patriot & Evening Advertiser.

--Brock-Perry

Colin Kaepernick and the War of 1812-- Part 3: Colonial Marines

Francis Scott Key was the son of a prominent Maryland plantation owner and owned several slaves himself.  Yet, he was opposed to slavery as an institution, but very anti-abolitionist.  He strongly opposed to freeing the slaves and instead wanted a colony set up in Africa for their relocation.

During the course of his law practice, Key represented many slave owners who sued for the recovery of their "property" in cases of escaped slaves.

Historians say that the part about the "hireling and slave" refers to former slaves who joined the British for pay and/or freedom.

During the Battle of Baltimore, as the attack became known, Key was held captive on a British ship and his guards were freed black men.  The British referred to these blacks as the "Corps of Colonial Marines."  Some died during the battle, bringing about the "terror of fight or gloom of the grave."

At Least This Show of Disrespect For the Country That Enable Colin to Make All That Money Covers Up a Little Bit His Ineffectiveness As a QB.  --Brock-Perry

The Colin Kaepernick War of 1812 Connection-- Part 1: "Land of the Free?"

From the August 31, 2016, Sports Grid "Forgotten Third Verse of the National Anthem Shines New Light on Kaepernick Protest" by Rick Chandler.

A huge fuss is being made about San Francisco QB Colin Kaepernick's protest over the National Anthem.  His protest may have been motivated by the largely forgotten third verse of the song, part of which reads:

"No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of fight or gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."

Of course, the United States in 1814 was not really a land of the free what with slavery and all.  Fort McHenry protected  Baltimore Maryland.  Maryland still had slavery.

But, Wait, Theer Is More.  --Brock-Perry

The Army-Navy Game Today Pays Tribute to War of 1812

From the Nov. 25, 2013, Wasgington Times "Uniforms Army-Navy game unveiled Monday night."

The Navy's uniforms pay tribute to Captain James Lawrence whose famous words "Don't Give Up the Ship" was a battlecry during the War of 1812. You see those words on flags all over the place and were flown at the Battle of Lake Erie.

The Army pays their tribute to General Winfield Scott who fought in the war and later commanded U.S. troops in the Mexican War and was in charge of the Union Army in the early days of the Civil War and came up with Scott's Anaconda Plan to defeat the Confederacy.

We watch this Army-Navy game most every year at the Fox Lake American Legion which has a big party for it with lots of food and cheering. I tend to favor the Navy, but with their domination of the series of late, will be backing the cadets of Army this year.

Go Knights!! --RoadDog

Navy Playing Football in Dublin, Ireland: A Commemoration

It just ended, but the Naval Academy played Notre Dame in Dublin, Ireland, to kick-off both teams' season.  Sadly, it was a blow-out in favor of the Fighting Irish.  Even though Navy was the home team, guess who was the fans' favorite of those in Dublin?

This is another commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 of sorts.  It was in this war that the U.S. Navy came of age with victories over British ships.  I heard that an American warship visited Dublin as well.

I imagine the Irish were pulling for the Americans during the war.  You know, anything to cause problems for their dear friends in England.

It Was a 50-10 Shellacking.  --Brock-Perry