This first photo is of Francis Scott Key’s original manuscript for the lyrics to “The Star Spangled Banner,” the American national anthem, written in 1814. The second photo highlights a portion of the lesser-known third stanza, which castigates the “hireling and slave” fighting against the U.S. side, promising them “no refuge.” Drawing attention to these lines, which reflect America’s legacy of slavery, neither embraces the uglier aspects of the past nor equivicates all of American history as brutal. Knowing where we come from can better position us to move in a positive direction.
