"The Star-Spangled Banner" is known by all, treasured for its powerful melody and stirring lyrics. And yet, only about 40% of U.S. citizens know all the words. And even fewer know their meaning. Join us as we travel back to 1814, when Washington D.C. was under British attack during the "Second War of Independence," and the very bricks and mortar of American democracy were reduced to smoking rubble. We examine the battle that inspired witness Francis Scott Key to immortalize its final moments, then reveal how his poem transformed into an anthem.
Jeff Wilburn
as Narrator (voice)
Clent Bowers
as Self - National Anthem Performer
Catherine Purcell
as Self - Voice Student
Jennifer L. Jones
as Self - Curator
Vince Eisenson
as Francis Scott Key
Cynthia Janzen
as Dolly Madison
Jim Lyall
as James Madison
James Bailey
as George Armistead
Bill Boslego
as William Beanes
Shannon McLucas
as Mary Pickersgill
