WASHINGTON — The original, handwritten manuscript of The Star-Spangled Banner and the flag that inspired the song will be displayed together at the Smithsonian — the first time the historic pieces are thought to have been shown side by side.
The manuscript is usually on display at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore, and the flag has been at the Smithsonian since the early 1900s. They will be displayed together from Flag Day, June 14, through July 6.
The display will be the start of celebrations marking 200 years since the song was written on Sept. 14, 1814.
Having the two objects together will provide an “aha moment” for viewers, said Jennifer Jones, a Smithsonian curator.
“It’s meant to be emotional,” she said. “It’s meant to be reflective.”
Francis Scott Key was a 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet when he wrote the song’s words during the War of 1812.
Key watched as the British bombarded Baltimore’s Fort McHenry for more than 24 hours. When he saw the fort’s flag flying the next morning — a signal that U.S. troops had withstood the enemy — he was inspired to write a poem originally called Defense of Fort McHenry.
The poem, set to music and later renamed, became the national anthem in 1931.
The manuscript has two surprises for viewers who know the song. First, Key’s poem is four stanzas, although the first stanza is the only one that is traditionally sung. And, second, Key originally wrote, “O say can you see through the dawn’s early light” — but crossed out “through” and wrote “by.”