however, beanes had a friend in francis scott key. francis scott key receives word of dr. beanes being apprehended, and he volunteers to negotiate the release. i have a lot of respect for key. first, he volunteered to do it. second, when he volunteered, who knows how long the negotiation process would take? if the british took one civilian prisoner, who is to say that key might not be the next? he left behind a wife and six children. key left behind a law practice that was not doing very well. in 1814, key was considering going into the ministry, perhaps being an episcopalian minister. he also consider perhaps becoming a newspaper editor. so even key was still decided what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. a lot of soul-searching at that time. a lot of soul-searching for our nation at that time. and key does perhaps one of the greatest things to help get the release. he meets some of the british wounded who were taken at the battle of bladensburg, and gets letters of testimony saying that other american doctors in good faith nursed the wounded on both sides cared

of state colin powell, and a flag-raising at the exact time to hundred years ago that francis got key -- francis scott key saw the writing of the american flag. moment, september 14, 1814, inspired key to compose what later became the national anthem and the american victory became a turning point in the war of 1812. >> we are very honored here to have such a representation of our armed forces. the handstitched american flag, united states army old guard, and practically every service branch represented here today. the united states navy, the united states army, the united states a ring core, as well as our guest from canada and the united kingdom. [applause] taking the field is the fort mchenry guard, specially trained volunteers that represent the184 garrison of fort mccarron. when the uniform of the regular united states army, representing the core of artillery that was the regular army garrison of fort mchenry. what we will do right now -- they noticed it army old guard, -- the united states army old guard along with naval detachment from the united states ship constitution, we will now on role th

one could simply laugh it off, however, francis scott key summed up that question. asked the question, o say can you see by the dawn's early light. language was so important to francis scott key. some visitors were irate when they saw a question mark on an exhibit text panel that we put on. o say does that star-spangled banner yet wave for the land of the free and the home of the brave, question mark? he poses that question, o, say can you see. he's very accurate in his four verses of the "star-spangled banner." the answer is presented in the second verse where key acknowledges that he saw the flag, which would have occurred at about 9:00 in the morning. if you look at your program. look at the back of the program, you will find all four verses of the star-spangled banner of the national anthem. we all know verse number one, some of us know verse number four. almost no one knows the second and third verses and they all do different things, as vinny has already implied. the first one is a statement, beginning actually with a question, o say can you see, and it is ver

it was this day francis scott key was able to see this flag waving over ft.chenry in baltimore and wrote that what came to be known as "the star-spank star star-spangled banner." a big bash taking it place at that site. lela leland vitter is live. give us the scoop. >> reporter: hi. what a party it's been. what a difference 200 years makes. back then, this was the site of the battle of baltimore. for about 25 hours, the british bombarded ft. mchenry. that's what they commemorated last night when they had a massive fireworks display. the bombs bursting in air, rocket's red glare. it was francis scott key who was being held by the british captive there on that harbor. he was watching this battle go down between the british and the fort during the war of 1812. it was the next part of the song that president biden then commemorated last night. >> does that star spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. to state the obvious, the resounding answer is yes. >> that was vice president biden talking last night. the dawn's early light

. >> reporter: francis scott key wasn't making it up. and 200 years later, the flag that withstood the british bombardment at fort mchenry during the war of 1812 still packs them in at the smithsonian says curator jennifer jones. >> we really look at it as an iconic object of america ?rim but pieces of the star spangled banner are missing, including one of its stars. they were cut away, souvenirs turned into heirlooms. the smithsonian wants those frag ams back. but good luck with that. some are as small as a thumbnail and could be in anyone's attic. >> people in the 19th century were very honored and very interested in holding that piece of history and passing that from generation to generation was an important aaspect of souveniring. >> axelrod: while the flag may be showing its age, the song it inspired has never been in better shape. brian mcknight performed it at last year's nfl pro bowl. is singing the national anthem any different singing any other song? >> you listen to the lyrics that francis scott key wrote, and you are taken ba

and boy, is that ever true with francis scott key. a look. ♪[ music ] >> reporter: maybe a little shaky with the lyrics about these san francisco kindergartners are singing the poetry of their school's namesake. ♪[ music ] >> reporter: but francis scott key elementary isn't the man's only signature on our landscape landscape. >> i believe it's the biggest monument in the park. he sits up in the chair and then the finial on top is the goddess of liberty. >> reporter: but who would give the park such a grand statue of mr. key? >> james lick was the benefactor of this magnificent piece. >> reporter: yes, james lick who died the richest man in california. he left his name, well, all over the place. but in 1814, lick was a teenaged piano maker in baltimore. and he watched with his own eyes the perilous fight at fort mchenry. that's right, the very same rockets and bombs that inspired francis scott key. >> it's an extraordinary come together of small-time small place little situations that adds up to something big really in american history

francis scott key wrote him poem about.e dawn's early light he saw this, the large american flag. it's actually interesting, the smaller american flag, it's flown all night. at 9:00 in the morning they ran up the huge flag to prove to the british that we are still there. not only did it tell the british we were still there, but the 40,000 or so residents of baltimore knew the ft. had not fallen, also knew that this was a turning point in the war of 1812 against the british. from francis scott key's poem which was called "the defense of ft. mchenry," paeosted all over town. out of that came "the star spangled banner," something that we all carry with us every day of ow lives, in our wallets. the fourth verse of tstar spangled banner goes, in god is our trust, which morphed into in god we trust which we all have on every dollar bill that we have. >> leland, thanks so much. >>> one mile to go. one mile. >> the race for every child is more than just a run. it is a small way to give back to the place that saved his son's life an

>> oh, sure, i mean -- you know, i'm always fascinated actually by the role of francis scott key because to me he epitomizes the divisions in the country at this time. francis scott key, who we see as, you know, the guy who writes the most patriotic of all songs, was a huge opponent of the war. he in particular is appalled at the u.s. actions towards canada, the fact that we're attacking canada, which he views as an innocent third party, and he actually writes a letter to john randolph of virginia, who was the congressman leading the a% nottingham. and he also forgets to bring along a spyglass, by the way. so his scouting reports aren't particularly useful. and then at blainsburg, he inserts himself in the chain of command and moves some of the forces around, so that they're not in support of each other. fascinating story, but he and madison, i think, really redeem themselves after the british depart washington. they -- madison spends the last night in refuge in brookville, maryland, and gets the word that the british have withdrawn after 24 hours. and he and monroe immediately ride back

this afternoon president obama toward fort mchenry, where francis scott key wrote "the star-spangled anner." the anniversary celebration continues at fort mchenry through the weekend. what kind of weather can the fans of francis scott key expect? [inaudible] >> we will all do it together. no solo here. [laughter] maybe dodging a few showers tomorrow to the mid-a hours. by sunday, the sunshine returns. how beautiful was it out there today? it is still nice. gorgeous sunrise from our washington lee high school weatherbug camera. we have had a good bit of sunshine all day long. comfortable temperatures, low humidity. september. 78 degrees in woodbridge and st. thomas aquinas. the dew .57. it felt very dry and comfortable air overhead. thickeningwill be through the overnight hours. we are going to be in for a more cloudy day tomorrow. average, 81. 80 degrees is more of an anomaly because most spots stay in the 70's. 72 in winchester. 76 in quantico. fredericksburg looks really comfortable and low humidity. you think it is cool and comfortable here, how about in the midwest? 50 degrees in

. >> stephen: that is the battle francis scott key is describing in the star spangled banner. >> exactlys scott key was out in the middle of the river on a ship, and he watched the british fleet bombard fort mchenry for 27 hours. >> stephen: and this was the flag over fort mchenry. >> this was the flag raised at the end of the battle. >> stephen: to celebrate and commemorate the 200th anniversary of that battle and tomorrow his writing of the national anthem, you have a new book called "the star spangled banner: the making of an american icon." >> that's right. >> stephen: this is really about the song, isn't it? >> this is about the flag, the song, the battle, the whole nine yards. >> stephen: okay the diet book. >> exactly. >( laughter ). >> stephen: was the star spangled banner, the song itself, was that embraced by people right away? >> it was not immediately popular. it-- it grew slowly in popularity. >> stephen: what was our national anthem before the star spangled banner. >> we had rather patriotic songs. "yankee doodle," "hail columbia." they played "yankee doodle at the end of t

>> oh, sure, i mean -- you know, i'm always fascinated actually by the role of francis scott key because to me he epitomizes the divisions in the country at this time. francis scott key, who we see as, you know, the guy who writes the most patriotic of all songs, was a huge opponent of the war. he in particular is appalled at the u.s. actions towards canada, the fact that we're attacking canada, which he views as an innocent third party, and he actually writes a letter to john randolph of virginia, who was the congressman leading the anti-war efforts that key celebrates when one of the u.s. attacks on montreal fails. and he says that to quote patrick henry, if this be treason, i am brace the name traitor. he's a fascinating figure. monroe himself, i think, you know, he really botches things in this story. he jumps on a horse to go scouting out the british as they're approaching. this is the secretary of state, putting himself in danger's way and he very nearly gets caught by the british down in nottingham. and he also forgets to bring along a spyglass, by the way. so his scouting reports

. >>> 200 years ago this weekend, francis scott key, pen to which later became known as the star spangledanner. ♪ banner yet wave >> in san francisco, community leaders joined students and staff. many students at francis scott key elementary wore specially decorated hats. others carried an american flag, the inspiration for key's poem after he witnessed the united states resist the british attack in baltimore. students heard about the battle and the historical siftion of the national anthem -- sig significance of the national an then. >> san francisco police chief greg suhr was among the local leaders at today's celebration. >>> thank you for making ktvu your choice for news. we're always here for you at ktvu.com and you can follow us on twitter and facebook. have a great weekend. >> today on "animal science." the parent has no vocal cords but it can still talk and saying to its hearts -- sing to its hearts content. liono you know why the sea bends its head back like this? there is a logical explanation. plus, the taper can use its long snout to grab nutrient rich vegetation. amazing. and

when francis scott key saw that, that is when he penned those famous words.iginally a poem. it was only later it was put to an old british song and then called the star-spangled banner. we all carry with us some memory of the star-spapg led banner in our wallets. it's oner dollar bill. >> all right. it does not end with play ball. thank sos much. we'll be right back. man: i know the name of eight princesses. i'm on expert on softball. and tea parties. i'll have more awkward conversations than i'm equipped for, because i'm raising two girls on my own. i'll worry about the economy more than a few times before they're grown. but it's for them, so i've found a way. who matters most to you says the most about you. at massmutual we're owned by our policyowners, and they matter most to us. ready to plan for your future? we'll help you get there. watch this. sam always gives you the good news in person, bad news in email. good news -- fedex has flat rate shipping. it's called fedex one rate. and it's affordable. sounds great. [ cell phone typing ] [ typing continues

star, day, we fly the 13 15-stripe flag, the same style that inspired francis scott key write the national anthem. key saw that flag at a unique american history when american morale was really, really low. turning point in the war of 1812. know of americans don't about the war of 1812. why it was important for francis to see that flag and how it spine inspired him to write those words that became our national anthem. we're now here in what's called gun deck of ft. mchenry, we call it the water battery. t would be the main line of defense against the british ships. so what was this war of 1812 and why did the british come to baltimore? well, a lot of people find surprising is really the war of america's most unpopular wars. and i think it's because the complex and on one side you can say the united states had a totally good reason to go to war. the british were seizing american ships, dictating who we we could de with, who not trade with, stealing american sailors and forcing them to the british navy. and it was deeper than just making up a manpower shortage in there's a navy, whole questi

the raising of the garrison flag over the fort on the mining after,- the morning inspired francis scott key to write the words that became our national anthem. >> welcome to fort mchenry. at tir

francis scott key was very self-ee facing, didn't even h e promote his association with it.came in and said i'm the one who did that. >> why was it kept -- he was a humble person who didn't want people to know much about this, it was something personal to him? >> this is true, he was a gentleman. it would seem unseemly if he promoted it himself. >> how soon after did it take off? >> instantously, they printed them out and gave them out to the soldiers at fort mchenry and spread as documented in the book very quickly and on stage in theaters. >> there are a lot of interesting facts in the book. one of those being the first time it was sung at the major event in our history, talk to us about that for a moment. >> the baseball. that's one thing that people will get wrong. you'll see a myth perpetuated the 1918 world series, it was decidedly untrue, 1862. baseball historians knew that but i found the documentation that showed that was first time we know of. it could have been before. he wrote it in 1814. >> what are some of the things that you write in the book that people will

what many don't know is that francis scott key could not see the outcome of the battle. >> it's muddyining, the, you know, the american are feeling helpless. he got the smoke from all the guns, oh say, can you see? he could not see the flag, can you see the flag by dawn's early light. then he reflects, so proudly we hailed at twilight's last gleaming. >> out on the water where today we see baltimore's key bridge, key protoa poem originally called the defense of fort mchenry, setting the words to a tune of a favorite song. >> he had a real thing for british drinking song called anakrian in heaven. >> francis scott key was really into a drinking song. >> yes, he really, really liked the tune a lot. i think you can post other porty to fit it, but he definitely had this in mind. >> do you know the song? >> yes, i do. >> will you sing it for me? >> i'll try. we'll do our best. >> ok. ♪ to anacrion in heaven, the true sons of harmony sent a petition. >> oh say can you see by the dawn's early light which so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, whose brought stripes and bright s

. >>> and a moment from the children of francis scott key school. budog: quarterback takes the snap... oh, he fakes a handoff and he's making a run... 'cause mattress discounters fall kickoff sale is ending soon! hurry to save up to $300 on sealy posturepedic and serta mattress sets. even get 24 months interest-free financing on every tempur-pedic. you're going to love their football field-size selection. this calls for a little touchdown dance. mattress discounters fall kickoff sale is ending soon. ♪ mattress discounters it's the yoplait greek taste-off and we're asking this sports town which blueberry greek yogurt is their champion. it's the bottom of the 9th, who's it going to be? get your greek yogurt here! can i ask you a question? which one tastes the best? a tastes better. a. i love. lift it up and see what the winner is. who is it? no way. it's yoplait! i knew it! do you want to see which one yoplait greek beat? chobani. hoorah! yoplait greek wins again. take the taste-off for yourself. go boston! >>> after a public records request, police i

francis scott key. but because of key officers of the 85th regiment who had led the advance into bladensburg, namely major george brown who was wounded with a musket ball through the pelvis. very painful. concerned thornton who led the 85th across the bridge. and also major wood. all these key officers were wounded here and left at bladensburg. and so they were not available to lead the advance of baltimore. so the disaster that happened to the british at baltimore was because of what happened here at bladensburg. so bladensburg and the burning of washington was definitely a disaster and something that should not have happened and i disagree with what is said that washington was burned because of the burning of york. we can talk about that a little bit more. that's always been said. that's been said for 200 years. but there's absolutely nothing in the british correspondence to say we went to washington because we wanted revenge for the burning of york. in fact, the british admiral and chi chief, vices a

leland, take us through how francis scott key wrote the song?reporter: you have to think about it, 200 years a lot's changed. during the war of 1812, the u.s. navy was outnumbered 13-1 by the british who had this entire fort surrounded with ships out here in baltimore harbor, 25 hours of bombardment to try and get the port to surrender. and remember this, francis scott key was held on a ship outside in the harbor. when he was there, that is when he began writing the song, the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, they talked about that last night as the fireworks were going off here. but that's what it represented, that part of the song. and this morning, dawn's early light, 9:00 this morning, they raised an enormous flag just like they did 200 years ago to the tune of yankee doodle dandy. the 40,000 folks who were here in baltimore, francis scott key published the poem, the defense of ft. mchenry there, and then all of a sudden over the next couple of weeks, it took on the tune of the star spangled banner that became the national an the

:t will feature remarks from powell and the flag raising exactly 200 years after francis scott key saw a large american flag hoisted above the fort which inspired him to later create the u.s. national anthem. compose what would later become the national anthem. each week, american history tv sits in on a lecture with one of the nation fell college professors. you consider in on the lectures saturday evening at 8 p.m. and midnight eastern. next, professor lori bogle talked about the american soldiers taken prisoner during the korean war. professor bogle explained how the warring nations used prisoners to intimidate their enemies and described the effects of captivity and attempts by the enemy at political indoctrination.

and when francis scott key goes on his mission to try to negotiate the freedom for dr. these great arguments that the americans have come up to for why dr. beans should be released but what convinces general ross are these letters that key has brought with him from british brought withy including colonel thornton attesting to this wonderful care they're getting from the americans and on that basis alone key -- ross decides to free dr. beans so this plays a key role in the whole mission of the star spangled banner. thornton himself, there's an exchange in october and thornton nearly killed at bladensburg plays a critical role down in new orleans. he's released in the chesapeake bay exchange. he joins the attack on new orleans and he almost turns around that attack for the british. he leads the attack on the opposite bank of the@l mississi that goes pretty well for the british but then is called off because they have suffered too much on the other g=#xside, so remarkable. thornton despite his wounds ends up playing a big role in new orleans. >> next question. thank you.

de estados unidos cumplio ayer domingo, su aniversario numero 200...la letra fue escrita por francis scott keyia de 35 aÑos... take video one el 14 de septiembre de 1814 key, escribio el himno, en baltimore cuando los soldados ondearon la bandera para celebrar la victoria contra gran bretaÑa..... juanfra y la celebracion fue precisamente en baltimore y en grande, con 30 barcos...a los que la gente se pudo subir y admirarlos.... takevideotwo pero los festejos empezaron dias antes...mas de 7 mil estudiantes se reunieron en el fuerte mchenry tambien en baltimore y formaron una bandera humana... lucrecia los jovenes usaron capas con los colores que representan la bandera....ademas, recibieron una clase sobre la historia del "the star spangled banner" anchor gracias por acompanarnos, recuerden que le tendremos breves informativos durante el [tema musical] >>tengo novedades, patrÓn. ¿quÉ le pasÓ en esa mano? >>¿quÉ pasÓ, rufino? >>olga y la trepadora estÁn en su casa. [♪] >>olga, ¿quÉ haces aquÍ? >>seÑor, vine a recoger la ropa

that was how francis scott key came to witness what happened next.n this gigantic flag flying over fort mchenry. what so proudly we held at the twilight's last gleaming. 24 feet by 42 feet and raised there over the fort by the fort's commander major george arm stead. and he was in active of defiance. he was saying if you want baltimore, you first have to lower this flag. that's how key got to see what was happening and he paced the deck of his ship in the darkness hoping the explosions would continue because if there was silence, it might mean the fort capitulated but in the darkness before dawn there was a lull in the firing. and key didn't know whether it's a signaled submission by did fort or whether the british imposed a cease-fire. gradually the morning mist began to clear, oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light, and once more, and madeo stars and stripes still flying above the fort. never before had he looked with such reverence upon the symbol of his country. never before had the flag have such a sheen to the glory. in his ecstasy, ther

the very sad moment for the president and for the nation.smr we are practically beneath]#aip francis scott keyidge enters thep@ d.c. st there. in fact, right near where that ramp leading up to the bridge is to the whitehurst free wway whe the home used to stand on m-street, and a nice, nice brick home sort of overlooking the river with a garden cascading down to the shore. key was interesting guy. he was one with of the first of what we now know a washington attorney. a maryland native, and he was about in his mid-30s in the, during the war, and ironically for someonedñ0ñ that we associa with those patriotic of all of spangled banner" he like a allll other americans was opposed to the war. he thmthvó it was insane for te united states to declare war on great britain, a very powerful nation. he was a religious man and actually celebrates when some of the u.s. attempts to invade canada fail. he writes to his friend john randolph of virginia that, that though this may be treason, i embrace the name tray tor, and -- traitor, and that just goes to show the depth of the emotion against this war, a

ago, francis scott key witnessing the battle of ft. and the star spangled banner. ago, of course, 225 years our constitution first took effect. ach of these anniversaries commemorates remarkable individuals pursuing lofty beyond their own interests. in the case of magna carta, we quite rate something different. historians have debated for the significance of the events that ronnie mead, but seems clear -- the individuals who met there pursuing rather than an heroic cause beyond themselves. basic story which began long before the events at ronnie has, of course, been recounted by others, including ottenberg. he was a moving force behind the erected at ent ronnie mead and wrote a good account of the events in the of the aba sue journal. for those of you whose issues don't back go back that far, i will give a ery brief overview of the history. everything in england seems to conquerer william the who was the william wiley administrator as well. king harold, he put in place his own feudal ureaucracy, rewarding trusted -- orters with fief dpshgs those loyal. it led from

we're practically right beneath the francis scott key bridge. ord key, who lived almost exactly where the bridge enters the d.c. shore there. the ramp leading up to the bridge to the freeway where key's home used to stand. a nice brick home, sort of overlooking the river with a garden cascading down to the shore. he was an interesting guy. he was one of the first of what we now know as washington attorney. maryland native. he was in his mid 30s during the war. ironically for someone that we associate with the most patriotic of all american songs, "the star-spangled banner." he, like a lot of other americans, was deeply opposed to the war. declare on great britain, such a powerful nation. he was very religious guy and something in just by nature. he actually celebrates when whe attempts to invade canada fail. he writes to his friend, john randolph of virginia, that though this may be treason, i embrace the name traitor. that goes to show the depth of emotion against this war. key was not at all alone in expressing sentiments like that. but key fel

there was a hostage on board called francis scott key. he was a hostage from this way. they only remained 24 hours or 26 hours, somewhere around there. we were afraid of being cut off and attacked on their way back to the ships. it was still there. this is what they did to deceive the americans. they, in turn, captured a friend of francis skothd key, his name was dr. william beings. they took him away as a hostage. key pleaed for his friend's release. at sunset, he had seen this gigantic flag. what so proudly we held at the twilight's last gleaming. it was 42 feet by 30 feet. it had been raised there by the fort's commander, major george armestead. he was in active defiance. release. at sunset, he had seen this gigantic flag. what so proudly we held at the twilight's last gleaming. it was 42 feet by 30 feet. it had been raised there by the fort's commander, major george armestead. he was in active defiance. he was saying if you want baltimore, you first have to lower this flag. that's how key got to see what's happening. and it paced if deck of the ship and the doctors

this friday the star spanningled banner that was pened 200 years ago will be celebrated at the francis scott keylementary, and the students and faculty will be joined by the chief, suhr and our very own board of education president, fewer, where the teachers will recite the four stan sa of the song and the students will share the facts and yee will sing the anthem while the brownie and the cub scouts help to raise the flag. i would also to announce that official representatives from the historically black colleges and universities will be recruiting college-bound students right here at san francisco at mission high school and interested students will have the opportunity to receive the preliminary on the spot admissions and scholarships and financial aid information and face-to-face exposure with many of the backed black institutions of the higher learning in the united states and this is the first time that this will happen here in san francisco, and i would like to invite everyone asked in learning more about historically black college to attend this event, on monday, september 15th at mission

>> oh, sure, i mean -- you know, i'm always fascinated actually by the role of francis scott key becauseto me he epitomizes the divisions in the country at this time. francis scott key, who we see as, you know, the guy who writes the most patriotic of all songs, was a huge opponent of the war. he in particular is appalled at the u.s. actions towards canada, the fact that we're attacking canada, which he views as an innocent third party, and he actually writes a letter to john randolph of virginia, who was the congressman leading the a% nottingham. and he also forgets to bring along a spyglass, by the way. so his scouting reports aren't particularly useful. and then at blainsburg, he inserts himself in the chain of command and moves some of the forces around, so that they're not in support of each other. fascinating story, but he and madison, i think, really redeem themselves after the british depart washington. they -- madison spends the last night in refuge in brookville, maryland, and gets the word that the british have withdrawn after 24 hours. and he and monroe immediately ride back

all part of a weeklong festival celebrating the 200th birthday of the star-spangled banner by francis scott key. 30 of the ships from canada, norway, germany, spain, and turkey arriving at the harbor. they will dock at fort mchenry. they will be on public display starting tomorrow. beautiful. ona few lucky people put hardhats for up to where of renovations in the smithsonian national museum of american history. the west wing of the museum has been closed for more than two years for construction work. renovation project includes a new exhibition gallery and an education center and a panoramic window. today, the expectation of our visitors is of the objects aren't enough. they want to be engaged with them and have experience. >> construction should be completed by january of next year. it is scheduled to reopen next summer. >> a nice night for sailing on the inner harbor. >> beautiful weather. just a delightful night. tomorrow's evening, a little bit of a different weather pattern. showers and maybe heavy thunderstorms. let's start you off with sunshine outside. we will start with a time lapse fr

>> oh, sure, i mean -- you know, i'm always fascinated actually by the role of francis scott key because to me he epitomizes the divisions in the country at this time. francis scott key, who we see as, you know, the guy who writes the most patriotic of all songs, was a huge opponent of the war. he in particular is appalled at the u.s. actions towards canada, the fact that we're attacking canada, which he views as an innocent third party, and he actually writes a letter to john randolph of virginia, who was the congressman leading the anti-war efforts that key celebrates when one of the u.s. attacks on montreal fails. and he says that to quote patrick henry, if this be treason, i am brace the name traitor. he's a fascinating figure. monroe himself, i think, you know, he really botches things in this story. he jumps on a horse to go scouting out the british as they're approaching. this is the secretary of state, putting himself in danger's way and he very nearly gets caught by the british down in nottingham. and he also forgets to bring along a spyglass, by the way. so his scouting reports

fitzgerald's parents have a lot of ambition for him, and that is why they named him francis scott key fitzgerald, after a distant relative. francis was also the middle name of philip francis mcclellan, his grandfather who had all the money. when the family moved back to st. paul, his father couldn't even keep the family together because of finances. thrust himwanted to into the st. paul society. you send him to the most prestigious school in st. paul. fitzgerald was rubbing shoulders of summit avenue, even though his folks weren't quite there. it is not that he was a poor boy. today, you would think of him as a millionaire amongst billionaires. you don't feel sorry for the millionaire. many of his stories are about .he influence of money i wouldn't say the worship of money but the fact that money was a big driver in the united states. just onback to st. paul the cusp of being a teenager. he was very handsome. he was very smart. he was a leader. he was a natural leader. sometimes he was probably a little overaggressive. said, willfriends somebody poisoned scotty to shut him up? apparen

and when francis scott key goes on his mission to try to negotiate the freedom for dr.ve come up to for why dr. beans should be released but what convinces general ross are these letters that key has brought with him from british brought withy including colonel thornton attesting to this wonderful care they're getting from the americans and on that basis alone key -- ross decides to free dr. beans so this plays a key role in the whole mission of the star spangled banner. thornton himself, there's an exchange in october and thornton nearly killed at bladensburg plays a critical role down in new orleans. he's released in the chesapeake bay exchange. he joins the attack on new orleans and he almost turns around that attack for the british. he leads the attack on the opposite bank of the@l mississi that goes pretty well for the british but then is called off because they have suffered too much on the other g=#xside, so remarkable. thornton despite his wounds ends up playing a big role in new orleans. >> next question. thank you. anybody? yes, right here. in front. yes, sir

restore liberty to europe. 200 years ago, a very prominent lawyer and supreme court advocate francis scott key witnessing the battle of fort mchenry penned "the star spangle banner." 225 years ago, our constitution first took effect. each of these anniversaries commemorate remarkable individuals pursuing lofty objectives beyond their own interests. in the case of magna carta, we commemorate something quite different. historians have debated for centuries the significance of the events at runnymede, but one thing seems clear. the individuals who met there were pursuing their own narrow interest rather than an heroic cause. beyond themselves the basic story which began long before the event at runnymede has been recounted by louis auto burg. he was a moving force behind the monument erected at runnymede. he wrote a good account in the 1957 issues of the "aba journal." i will give a brief overview of the history. everything in england seems to begin with william the conqueror who was william the wily administrator as well. after defeating king harold, william put in place his own feudal bureaucra

that was how francis scott key came to witness what happened next.gigantic flag flying over fort mchenry. what so proudly we held at the twilight's last gleaming. 24 feet by 42 feet and raised there over the fort by the fort's commander major george arm stead. and he was in active of defiance. he was saying if you want baltimore, you first have to lower this flag. that's how key got to see what was happening and he paced the deck of his ship in the darkness hoping the explosions would continue because if there was silence, it might mean the fort capitulated but in the darkness before dawn there was a lull in the firing. and key didn't know whether it's a signaled submission by did fort or whether the british imposed a cease-fire. gradually the morning mist began to clear, oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light, and once more, and madeo stars and stripes still flying above the fort. never before had he looked with such reverence upon the symbol of his country. never before had the flag have such a sheen to the glory. in his ecstasy, there is no

it's the 200-th anniversaryf the day francis scott key p the poem to paper as the brh bombarde >>> america is singing happy birthday tonight to "the star spangled banner." it is the day he put the poem to paper. it became our national anthem. and the city of baltimore hosted events in its honor, including a huge fireworks show. >>> it was like the spirit of robin williams was on stage today in golden gate park. the 34th annual comedy day was dedicated to williams memory. he died last month at his home. the bay area native was a regular at this outdoor festival over the years. and laughter could be heard all over as a parade of 40 comedians to entertain the audience for over 5 hours. >>> meanwhile, a dangerous hurricane is heading towards cabo. making landfall by 11:00 tonight. hurricane forced winds extending out from the center of the hurricane. it is a potentially deadly one with winds sustained of 125 miles an hour making it a category 3 hurricane and it looks as if, as it parallels coastline of baja, california the next few days as if it is going to maintain that strength all of the wa