why was francis scott key interested in becoming a lawyer

Born in 1779, Francis Scott Key became a lawyer who witnessed the British attack on Fort McHenry during the War of 1812

. The fort withstood the day-long assault, inspiring Key to write a poem that would become the future U.S. national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." Key later served as a district attorney for Washington, D.C.

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What did Francis Scott Key do as a lawyer?

Francis Scott Key. 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 was Francis Scott Key early life like?

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.

What did Francis Scott Key say about slavery?

^ "An Erroneous Francis Scott Key Quote". Star Spangled Music Foundation. June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020. In response to a question asking why some Colonizationists thought that slaves should not be emancipated, Key says (as reprinted in an 1839 pamphlet by Augustus Palmer): "It is, I believe, universally so thought by them.

Where did key start his law practice?

He went on to study at St. John's College, ultimately returning to his home county to set up practice as a lawyer. Key wed Mary "Polly" Taylor Lloyd in the early 1800s, and the couple would go on to have 11 children. By 1805, he'd set up his legal practice in Georgetown, then an independent municipality within Washington, D.C. area.

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What inspired Francis Scott Key?

On September 14, 1814, U.S. soldiers at Baltimore's Fort McHenry raised a huge American flag to celebrate a crucial victory over British forces during the War of 1812. The sight of those “broad stripes and bright stars” inspired Francis Scott Key to write a song that eventually became the United States national anthem.

What did Francis Scott Key write and what inspired him to write it?

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 at dawn and wrote the poem "Defence of Fort M'Henry"; it was published within a week with the suggested tune of the popular song "To Anacreon in Heaven".

Who was Francis Scott Key trying to negotiate a release for?

Dr. William BeanesOne of Key's most notable professional achievements was aiding John Skinner in negotiating for the release of Dr. William Beanes, a prominent Upper Marlboro physician who had been captured by the British prior to the Battle of Baltimore.

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.?

Who wrote the US national anthem?

Francis Scott KeyThe Star-Spangled Banner / Lyricist

Was The Star-Spangled Banner a drinking song?

The words to our national anthem have nothing to do with consumption of alcohol, but the melody that Francis Scott Key had in mind when he wrote those words did originate decades earlier as the melody for a song in praise of wine.

Who was Francis Scott Key for kids?

0:292:50The History of the Star-Spangled Banner for Kids: Francis Scott Key ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipKey was sent to a british ship the hms menden to negotiate the release of some american prisonersMoreKey was sent to a british ship the hms menden to negotiate the release of some american prisoners the negotiations took a long time.

Who sewed the flag now known as The Star-Spangled Banner?

Mary PickersgillMaking the Star-Spangled Banner Armistead commissioned Mary Pickersgill, a Baltimore flag maker, to sew two flags for the fort: a smaller storm flag (17 by 25 ft) and a larger garrison flag (30 by 42 ft).

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 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 was the indictment against Prudence Crandall?

It accused Crandall of " seditious libel " after two marshals (who operated as slave catchers in their off hours) found Crandall had a trunk full of anti-slavery publications in his Georgetown residence/office, five days after the Snow riot, caused by rumors that a mentally ill slave had attempted to kill an elderly white woman. In an April 1837 trial that attracted nationwide attention and that congressmen attended, Key charged that Crandall's publications instigated slaves to rebel. Crandall's attorneys acknowledged he opposed slavery, but denied any intent or actions to encourage rebellion. Evidence was introduced that the anti-slavery publications were packing materials used by his landlady in shipping his possessions to him. He had not "published" anything; he had given one copy to one man who had asked for it.

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.”.

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 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.

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 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 F. Scott Key?

F rancis Scott Key was a successful attorney who served during the last year of the War of 1812 in the militia (small armies made up of troops residing in a particular state) of Washington, D.C. He only gained fame, however, after he wrote a poem that later became "The Star-Spangled Banner." Key was a witness to the British bombing of Fort McHenry. Inspired by the sight of the U.S. flag still flying after a bombardment that lasted twenty-four hours, Key wrote a poem on the back of a letter. It later gained popularity around the country, and in 1931 it became the national anthem of the United States.

Where did Francis Scott Key's grandfather live?

Francis Scott Key's grandfather arrived in the United States from England about 1720, settling in Maryland's Frede rick County (now known as Carroll County). Key was born on the family's twenty-eight-hundred-acre estate, Terra Rubra, located near the town of Frederick, Maryland (about forty miles north of Washington, D.C.). His father, John Ross Key, had fought with distinction in the Revolutionary War (1775-83). Key grew to be a slender young man with dark blue eyes and a passionate nature who enjoyed horseback riding.

What political party did John F. Key belong to?

During the first two years of the war, Key sided with members of the Federalist political party, who opposed the Republican administration of President James Madison (1751-1836; see biographical entry) and did not support the war effort. But in 1814 the nature of the war shifted when the Napoleonic Wars (1800-1815) ended and Great Britain was able to devote more troops and resources to the conflict in North America. The British went on the offensive and seemed likely to invade several areas of the United States. Key now changed his own position on the war and enlisted in the militia of Washington, D.C., serving as an aide to General Walter Smith.

Where did John Key live?

In 1803 Key moved his law practice and his family to Georgetown, which is now a part of Washington, D.C. At that time, Georgetown had five thousand residents and was located only a few miles from the nation's capital. He had a successful law career and also was very active at St. John's Episcopal Church; he was a lay reader (a person who is not a minister but takes part in the service by reading from the Bible) and at one time even considered becoming a minister. Key also sang with the Georgetown Glee Club. An amateur poet, he wrote a hymn called "Lord, With Glowing Heart I'd Praise Thee" that was still being sung nearly two centuries later.

Who was the elderly physician who led a group of residents who took it upon themselves to round up some misbehav

In the town of Upper Marlboro, an elderly physician named William Beanes (1749-1828) led a group of residents who took it upon themselves to round up some of these misbehaving British soldiers. But when British officers heard of their actions, they arrested Beanes and imprisoned him on one of their warships.

A Religious Pacifist

Key established a law practice in Frederick in 1801. The following year he married Mary Tayloe Lloyd, who also came from a prominent Maryland family. The couple eventually had eleven children, six boys and five girls. In 1803 Key and his family moved to Georgetown, in the District of Columbia.

Became a Patriot and Enlisted

When England defeated France in 1814 and turned its full attention to fighting the United States, Key reversed his position against the war and became an avowed patriot. In 1814 he enlisted in the District of Columbia militia and became an aide to General Walter Smith.

Poem Conveyed Patriotic Feelings

As sixteen British warships formed a semicircle around the fort, Key noticed a thirty-by-forty-two-foot American flag flying over it. The ships commenced bombing on September 13 and continued for the next twenty-four hours. Key watched from aboard his ship as some 1,800 shells exploded in and around the fort, lighting up the night sky.

A Respected Attorney

After the War of 1812, Key enjoyed a flourishing law practice. He was appointed district attorney for the District of Columbia in 1833 and held the post through 1841. In this position, Key negotiated several important agreements between the government and Native Americans. He also became active in the anti-slavery movement.

Further Reading on Francis Scott Key

Silkett, John T., Francis Scott Key and the History of the Star Spangled Banner, Vintage American Publishing, 1978.

Overview

Early life

"The Star-Spangled Banner"

Legal career

Key and slavery

Religion

Death and legacy

Monuments and memorials