The Flag over Fort McHenry

Sure it's hard to sing, but you have to give "The Star-Spangled Banner" huge points for sincerity. When Francis Scott Key (1779-1843) strained to see whether the U.S. flag was still flying over Fort McHenry on the morning of September 14, 1814, he wasn't just a curious bystander. He was a virtual prisoner of the British navy, which had been bombarding the fort for more than 20 hours.

Why did this Washington, DC, lawyer have a front-row seat to observe one of the War of 1812's most important battles? Because of a client, of course. Key had been persuaded to negotiate the release of an elderly Maryland physician, Dr. William Beanes, whom the British had imprisoned after they captured and burned the U.S. capital in August 1814.

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