what did francis scott key do in his lawyer

by Earl Nader 5 min read

Key was a lawyer in Maryland and Washington D.C. for four decades and worked on important cases, including the Burr conspiracy

Burr Conspiracy

The Burr conspiracy was a suspected treasonous cabal of US planters, politicians, and army officers in the early 19th century. The alleged cabal was led by Aaron Burr, the former Vice President of the United States. According to the accusations against him, his goal was to create an independe…

trial, and he argued numerous times before the Supreme Court. He was nominated for District Attorney for the District of Columbia by President Andrew Jackson, where he served from 1833 to 1841.

Key was a lawyer in Maryland and Washington D.C. for four decades and worked on important cases, including the Burr conspiracy trial, and he argued numerous times before the Supreme Court. He was nominated for District Attorney for the District of Columbia by President Andrew Jackson, where he served from 1833 to 1841.

Full Answer

What did Francis Scott Key do?

Key later served as a district attorney for Washington, D.C. Francis Scott Key was born on August 1, 1779, in Frederick County, Maryland, to a wealthy clan on the plantation of Terra Rubra.

How old was Francis Scott Key when he started Law School?

Francis Scott Key. When Francis was 10 years old, his parents sent him to grammar school in Annapolis. After graduating at the age of 17, he began to study law in Annapolis while working with his uncle's law firm. By 1805, he had a well-established law practice of his own in Georgetown, a surburb of Washington, D.C.

What did John Key do as a lawyer?

Key was a lawyer in Maryland and Washington D.C. for four decades, and worked on important cases like the Burr conspiracy trial, and argued numerous times before the U.S. Supreme Court. Nominated for U.S. attorney by President Andrew Jackson, he served from 1833 to 1841. Key owned slaves from 1800,...

What happened to the statue of Francis Scott Key?

^ Goldberg, Barbara (June 11, 2021). " ' Reckoning' with slavery: toppled Francis Scott Key statue replaced by African figures". Reuters. Preservation of the Residence of Francis Scott Key, Special Collections Research Center, Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, The George Washington University.

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Who was Francis Scott Key and what did he do?

Francis Scott Key, (born August 1, 1779, Frederick county, Maryland, U.S.—died January 11, 1843, Baltimore), American lawyer, best known as the author of the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Where was Francis Scott Key a lawyer?

Career. Francis Scott Key was a prominent lawyer in Frederick, Maryland and Washington, D.C. He made his name in 1807 defending Justus Eric Bollman and Samuel Swartwout who had been charged with treason in connection to an alleged conspiracy designed by Aaron Burr.

Did Francis Scott Key help free slaves?

In 1816, Key helped found the American Colonization Society that promoted the emigration of African Americans from the United States to Africa. His family were slave owners and Key personally owned slaves until he freed them in 1830. As Attorney of DC, he prosecuted abolitionists and supported strict slave laws.

Did Francis Scott Key negotiate a prisoner exchange?

At one point during this battle, Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, was bombed for 25 hours straight. Before the battle, Francis Scott Key, an American lawyer, author and poet, was aboard a British ship negotiating prisoner exchanges.

Who wrote The Star-Spangled Banner and why?

On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key pens a poem which is later set to music and in 1931 becomes America's national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The poem, originally titled “The Defence of Fort M'Henry,” was written after Key witnessed the Maryland fort being bombarded by the British during the War of 1812.

Who wrote the national anthem?

Francis Scott KeyThe Star-Spangled Banner / Lyricist

What year did slavery end?

1865The House Joint Resolution proposing the 13th amendment to the Constitution, January 31, 1865; Enrolled Acts and Resolutions of Congress, 1789-1999; General Records of the United States Government; Record Group 11; National Archives.

What does the third verse of The Star-Spangled Banner mean?

In the third verse, Key had a special message for the enslaved people who had dared to fight for freedom—we will pursue you to get revenge: 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.

What inspired Key to write and the flag was still there?

1 Answer. On September 13, 1814 Francis Scott Key, an American, was being guarded by British soldiers as the British began an overnight bombardment of Ft. McHenry in Baltimore on the Chesapeake Bay. Mr.

What emotion did Francis Scott Key want to express when he wrote the words to The Star-Spangled Banner?

What emotion did Francis Scott Key want to express when he wrote the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner"? He wrote this to celebrate the American victory. He was proud of his country. Why did the British burn Washington, D.C.?

Did bodies hold up the flag at Fort McHenry?

To the best of our knowledge, the British did not specifically target the flag. There were about 25 American casualties. Bodies of the dead were not used to hold up the flag pole — a 42 by 30 foot flag has to be on a well-anchored pole, not held up by a few dead bodies stacked around it.

What inspired the lawyer from Washington Francis Scott Key to write The Star-Spangled Banner?

On September 14, 1814, the Battle of Fort McHenry inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner." The University of Michigan's Mark Clague corrects some common myths about our national anthem.

Where was Francis Scott Key's mother?

Coat of Arms of Francis Scott Key. Key grew up on the family plantation Terra Rubra in Frederick County, Maryland (now Carroll County ).

What is the name of the library that preserved the Francis Scott Key house?

Preservation of the Residence of Francis Scott Key, Special Collections Research Center, Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, The George Washington University. This pamphlet was written by the Columbia Historical Society in an effort to save the Francis Scott Key home from destruction in the 1940s.

Where did John Smith settle?

He and his family settled in Georgetown in 1805 or 1806, near the new national capital. He assisted his uncle Philip Barton Key in the sensational conspiracy trial of Aaron Burr and in the expulsion of Senator John Smith of Ohio. He made the first of his many arguments before the United States Supreme Court in 1807.

What did Francis Scott Key defend?

Francis Scott Key defended and participated in the institution of slavery, and his personal ownership of other human beings stand s opposed to his definition of the United States as “the land of the free.”. The third verse of the song mentions that “No refuge could save the hireling and slave.”.

Who painted Francis Scott Key?

Percy Moran 's painting depicting Francis Scott Key the morning after the bombardment of Fort McHenry. Library of Congress. War of 1812. Key opposed the War of 1812 but served as a quartermaster in the Georgetown Artillery against the British.

What did Francis Scott Key believe about slavery?

Key defended enslaved individuals seeking their freedom as an attorney and believed that “by the law of nature all men are free. The presumption that even Black men and Africans are slaves is not a universal presumption.”#N#Despite any objections Key had to the institution of slavery, he chose to take part in its proliferation. Key most likely purchased his first enslaved person in 1800 or 1801, and by 1820 he owned six enslaved people. His family owned slaves at the time of his birth, and at least one of his children owned slaves after his death.

Who was the District Attorney for the District of Columbia in 1833?

He made his name in 1807 defending Justus Eric Bollman and Samuel Swartwout who had been charged with treason in connection to an alleged conspiracy designed by Aaron Burr. Key served as an advisor to Andrew Jackson and served as the District Attorney for the District of Columbia from 1833 to 1841.

Who was Francis Scott Key's sister?

Francis Scott Key, or “Frankie”, was particularly close to his sister Anne Phoebe Charlton Key. Key looked back on his childhood fondly, and wrote a poem entitled “To My Sister” in which he reflects on the “bright hours” he spent with her on the family plantation. A painting of a young Francis Scott Key.

Who was the man who watched the flag being raised at Fort McHenry?

Library of Congress. Francis Scott Key stood aboard the deck of an American truce ship on September 14, 1814 and watched the raising of Fort McHenry’s large garrison flag over the ramparts. He had witnessed Britain’s twenty-five hour bombardment of the Fort, and for Key, the raising of the American flag was a triumphant symbol ...

What was Francis Scott Key's stance on slavery?

Key continued working in law and became Washington, D.C., district attorney in 1833. He also had a complex, some might say contradictory, stance on race. In his capacity as district attorney, he was noted to have overseen proceedings that upheld the system of slavery, prosecuting abolitionists. Key was an enslaver himself, though he went on record as saying that the system of slavery was full of sin and "a bed of torture." He also helped establish the American Colonization Society, which advocated the transport of African Americans to Africa. Information on Key's relationship to race and his D.C. legal career can be found in the Jefferson Morley book Snow-Storm in August: Washington City, Francis Scott Key, and the Forgotten Race Riot of 1835.

Where was Francis Scott Key born?

Early Life and Career. Francis Scott Key was born on August 1, 1779, in Frederick County, Maryland, to a wealthy clan on the plantation of Terra Rubra. He was educated at home until the age of 10 and then attended an Annapolis grammar school. He went on to study at St. John's College, ultimately returning to his home county to set up practice as ...

What book did Francis Scott Key write about race?

Information on Key's relationship to race and his D.C. legal career can be found in the Jefferson Morley book Snow-Storm in August: Washington City, Francis Scott Key, and the Forgotten Race Riot of 1835.

Who killed Laci and Laci?

Scott Peterson is best known as the man who murdered his eight-month pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn child in 2002. A jury sentenced him to death by lethal injection.

Where did Francis Key go to school?

While the war continued, Francis Key grew up on the family estates. At the age of 10 he was sent to Annapolis, Maryland, to attend grammar school , and later St. John’s College—graduating from the latter in 1796. After graduation he stayed with his paternal uncle Philip Barton Key to practice law. (Francis later named his son Philip Barton Key II in ...

Where was Fancis Scott Key born?

His father, John Ross Key, had just returned from being a second lieutenant in Captain Thomas Price’s Maryland Rifle Company during the Revolutionary War, when Francis was born at the family mansion “Terra Rubra” in Frederick County, Maryland, now known as Carroll County.

Who is Francis Scott Key?

Who was Francis Scott Key? Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer and amateur poet, best known as the writer of the national anthem of the United States, ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’. Born into a prominent family of plantation owners of Maryland, he later studied law and practiced in Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Who was John Ross Key's father?

His father, John Ross Key, was a lawyer and a judge who had also served as a commissioned officer in the ‘Continental Army’ during the American Revolutionary War. His mother’s name was Ann Pheobe Dagworthy Charlton. Key was homeschooled till 10 and then attended the ‘Annapolis Grammar School.’.

What was the name of the ship that Key was detained on?

Key was detained on a British ship during the bombardment on ‘Fort McHenry’ of Baltimore. After the day-long attack, when Key saw the American flag flying on the fort, he wrote ‘Defense of Fort McHenry,’ which became the official American national anthem in 1931.

Who was the captain of the Georgetown Light Field Artillery?

Despite his reservations, he enlisted in the army in 1813 and served under Captain George Peters as part of the ‘Georgetown Light Field Artillery.’. He was also a witness to the Battle of Bladensburg, outside Washington, D.C. (August 1814).

Who was the British leader who arranged the exchange of prisoners with the British?

He obtained permission to mediate, from President Madison, and also got letters from British prisoners about the benevolence of Dr. Beanes. With Colonel John Skinner, who had earlier arranged exchange of prisoners with the British, Key set out with a flag of truce in an American cartel ship, on September 3 that year.

Who was the doctor who was taken prisoner by the British?

At the time, the town physician of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Dr. William Beanes, who had detained the British troops plundering the locals, was taken prisoner by the British. Unsuccessful in negotiating his release, his family and friends requested Key to intervene.

What was the name of the case that John Eaton was accused of?

He appeared in important cases such as the prosecution of former U.S. treasury auditor Tobias Watkins, the ‘Petticoat Affair’ scandal involving Secretary of War John Eaton (1829–1831), and the trial of soldier-politician Sam Houston (1832).

What did Francis Scott Key want?

Key wanted to reestablish law and order and protect the white man's right to own property in people. One hundred and eighty or so years ago, the paths of three men crossed in Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. The most famous of the three was Francis Scott Key. He was the scion of Maryland’s slave-holding aristocracy ...

What did John F. Key want?

Key wanted to reestablish law and order in the nation’s capital and protect the white man’s right to own property in people. The constitution, in Key’s view, required no less. In the spring of 1836, Key also brought charges against Reuben Crandall, a New York doctor who had brought abolitionist pamphlets to Washington.

When did John Key die?

He died in January 1843. Key’s life attests to the complicated and contradictory stances of people of the time. For years, Abraham Lincoln, too, favored colonization. However, as a young Congressman from Illinois, he also signed a petition to free the slaves in the District of Columbia.

Who was the black lawyer?

By 1835, in the timeless ways of Washington, Key had parlayed his law practice into political connections with the network of editors, landowners and slave masters around General Andrew Jackson. In 1833, President Jackson rewarded Key with the office of District Attorney.

Was Francis Scott Key an Epicurean?

The lives of these three men intersected on the streets of Washington, D.C. Francis Scott Key was politically ambitious and religiously observant. He was no Epicurean, renouncing luxury in all of its forms.

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Overview

Francis Scott Key (August 1, 1779 – January 11, 1843) was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet from Frederick, Maryland, who is best known for writing the lyrics for the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner".
Key observed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814 during the War of 1812. He was inspired upon seeing the American flag still flying over the fort a…

Early life

Key's father John Ross Key was a lawyer, a commissioned officer in the Continental Army, and a judge of English descent. His mother Ann Phoebe Dagworthy Charlton was born (February 6, 1756 – 1830), to Arthur Charlton, a tavern keeper, and his wife, Eleanor Harrison of Frederick in the colony of Maryland.

"The Star-Spangled Banner"

During the War of 1812, Key and British Prisoner Exchange Agent Colonel John Stuart Skinner dined aboard HMS Tonnant as the guests of Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane, Rear Admiral George Cockburn, and Major General Robert Ross. Skinner and Key were there to negotiate the release of William Beanes, a resident of Upper Marlboro, Maryland who had been arrested after arguing with …

Legal career

Key was a leading attorney in Frederick, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., for many years, with an extensive real estate and trial practice. He and his family settled in Georgetown in 1805 or 1806, near the new national capital. He assisted his uncle Philip Barton Key in the sensational conspiracy trial of Aaron Burr and in the expulsion of Senator John Smith of Ohio. He made the first of his many arg…

Key and slavery

Key purchased his first slave in 1800 or 1801 and owned six slaves in 1820. He freed seven of his slaves in the 1830s, and owned eight slaves when he died. One of his freed slaves continued to work for him for wages as his farm's foreman, supervising several slaves. Key also represented several slaves seeking their freedom, as well as several slave-owners seeking return of their runaway slaves. Key was one of the executors of John Randolph of Roanoke's will, which freed hi…

Religion

Key was a devout and prominent Episcopalian. In his youth, he almost became an Episcopal priest rather than a lawyer. Throughout his life he sprinkled biblical references in his correspondence. He was active in All Saints Parish in Frederick, Maryland, near his family's home. He also helped found or financially support several parishes in the new national capital, including St. John's Episcopal Church in Georgetown, Trinity Episcopal Church in present-day Judiciary Square, and Chr…

Death and legacy

On January 11, 1843, Key died at the home of his daughter Elizabeth Howard in Baltimore from pleurisy at age 63. He was initially interred in Old Saint Paul's Cemetery in the vault of John Eager Howard but in 1866, his body was moved to his family plot in Frederick at Mount Olivet Cemetery.
The Key Monument Association erected a memorial in 1898 and the remains o…

Monuments and memorials

• Francis Scott Key Monument in Baltimore. The monument was defaced in 2017 with the words "Racist Anthem" and covered in red paint.
• Two bridges are named in his honor. The first is between the Rosslyn section of Arlington County, Virginia, and Georgetown in Washington, D.C. Key's Georgetown home, which was dismantled in 1947 (as part of construction for the Whitehurst Freeway), was located on M Street NW, in the area between the Key Bridge and the intersection …