a short essay about national anthem

Short History of The Star Spangled Banner

A s the sun broke the horizon on September 13, 1814, Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane gave the order for British naval ships to commence firing at Fort McHenry . Located in the Baltimore Harbor, Fort McHenry was one of the last lines of defense for Baltimore: if the fort was captured, then Baltimore would be as well.  With Washington, D.C., burned just a month prior , the capture of Baltimore would mean that the just formed United States would lose two major coastal cities. These cities were financial and political strongholds, and, without them, Britain could claim victory for the entire war.

On a merchant ship in the harbor was British Prisoner Exchange Agent Colonel John Stuart Skinner and Georgetown lawyer Francis Scott Key . On September 5, Stuart and Key had sailed into the harbor to meet with Admiral George Cockburn to discuss the release of Dr. William Beanes. Beanes was a doctor, and a colleague of Key, who had refused to give food and drink to British soldiers who had happened upon his house in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. He was scheduled to be hanged. Stuart and Key successfully negotiated Beanes’s freedom. However, since they were by the British fleet in the harbor, and privy to the British’s positions and plans to attack Baltimore, the three men were unable to return to shore. 

On September 12, the British landed their forces at North Point , a peninsula at the fork of the Patapsco River and the Chesapeake Bay to attempt a land attack on Baltimore. The British pushed on toward the city and were attacked at noon, resulting in the death of British Major General Robert Ross . Colonel Arthur Brooke took command and skirmishes continued that day. The Americans retreated to Baltimore and the British consolidated their forces.

With many American forces emerging in the night, the British decided to launch a naval attack on Fort McHenry commanded by Admiral Cochrane. Major George Armistead , a future uncle to Confederate General Lewis Armistead in the Civil War, commanded the fort. For twenty-four hours, mortar shells and Congreve rockets were hurled at the fort. Over the harbor, there was a cloud of smoke that was only illuminated by the glow of rockets.

However, the British gunners had poor aim. Because of the American cannons in the fort and previously sunken merchant ships that Armistead had commanded to ring the entrance to Baltimore harbor, the British couldn’t get close to the Fort. At nightfall, Cochrane sent 1,200 of his men to the shore in an attempt to attack the fort from the rear. American forces met the incoming soldiers and impeded them from advancing.

The next morning, Armistead raised a thirty by forty-two-foot United States Flag over the fort. Customarily, this garrison flag was raised every morning at reveille, but after a night of fighting this action took on a new meaning. The British, equally fatigued after the long fight and running low on ammunition, noted that they could not overtake the fortifications of Fort McHenry. Beanes, Key, and Stuart were sent back to the Maryland shore and the British retreated and set off for New Orleans.

Throughout this battle, Key was in the harbor hearing cannon fire and the booms of explosives. After the hours of bombardment and the fear that the British could overtake the fort and head to Baltimore, Key awoke to a proud display of American patriotism and a symbol that they were not going to stop fighting. That morning he wrote notes for a future poem about this event. Later that week, he finished the poem “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” On September 20, the Baltimore Patriot published “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” Francis Scott Key’s brother-in-law set the poem to music, and the combined poem and music were published under the name “The Star-Spangled Banner.” 

After it was published, “The Star-Spangled Banner” became one of the many patriotic songs sung throughout the country. After 1889, it accompanied the flag raisings by the Navy. President Woodrow Wilson adopted the song as a de facto “national anthem” in 1916 but did not codify this ruling. In 1929, “House Resolution 14” was presented to Congress to name “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the official national anthem to the United States. There were many objections to this resolution.

One objection was that the tune of the “Star-Spangled Banner” was taken from the song “To Anacreon to Heaven.” This song was the theme for the Society of Anacreon, which was active between 1766-1791. The Society of Anacreon was a gentleman’s club that meet monthly to listen to music of questionable tastes and to socialize. Ralph Tomlinson wrote the lyrics and John Stafford Smith composed the melody in 1788 and 1780 respectively. The song alluded to alcohol consumption and love in the last line of the first stanza, “I’ll instruct you like me to entwine the myrtle of Venus with Bacchus’s wine.” Even though only the tune was used, some members still saw it risqué that the two songs could be intertwined.

Other objections include the difficulty of the song to sing and play, the inability to dance or march to the song, and it being too military-centric. The resolution did not pass until it was reintroduced to Congress in 1930. It was officially adopted by law on March 3, 1931. Other songs that were possible contenders for the position as national anthem were “Hail, Columbia,” “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee,” and “America the Beautiful.” 

The flag itself was sewn by Mary Pickersgill. Major Armistead was assigned to command Fort McHenry in June 1813. He commissioned the Baltimore-based flag-maker to sew two flags, one that is 17 by 25 ft and one that is 30 by 42 ft. The flags were so large that she sewed them with her daughter, Caroline; two nieces, Eliza Young and Margaret Young, and an indentured African American servant, Grace Wisher, on the floor of a nearby brewery. In addition, there were potentially other workers that helped with this behemoth project that have not been recorded. The larger of the two flags dwarfs the standard size of garrison flags today that measure 20 by 38 ft. As per the Second Flag Act that was ratified on January 13, 1794, there were fifteen red and white stripes and fifteen white stars in a field of blue on the flag. The additional two stripes represent Vermont and Kentucky, who entered the Union in 1791 and 1792 respectively. It wasn’t until April 4, 1818, with the Third Flag Act that the number of stripes were reduced back to thirteen and the number of stars on the flag equate to the number of states in the Union.

After the war and before his death in 1818, Major George Armistead, who was later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, acquired the large flag. The flag was passed down within the family until Eben Appleton, Armistead’s grandson donated the flag to the Smithsonian Institute in 1912. Between Armistead’s acquisition of the flag and the Appleton’s donation, pieces of the flag had been cut off and sent to veterans, government officials, and other prominent figures. In 1914, Amelia Fowler, a flag-restorer, was hired by the Smithsonian to help stabilize the fragile flag while it was on display. Preservation was initiated again in 1981 to reduce dust on the flag and reduce the amount of light shining on the fabric. Those preservation efforts weren’t enough. In 1994, the flag was removed from the wall, so conservators could remove the linen backing that Fowler sewed and further remove harmful materials from the flag’s surface. A new climate and light-controlled exhibit were created to house the flag and discuss its history.

Francis Scott Key wrote the “Star-Spangled Banner” as a joyous poem after he was relieved that the United States had preserved against British attack. Since then it has evolved into the national anthem for the United States and is played at official events, schools, and sporting events. This anthem is a means to bring Americans together to remember the United States' perseverance in the face of adversity and as a stage that Americans can use to protest unjust policies.

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History | Updated: July 1, 2024 | Originally Published: March 1, 2007

The Real Story Behind the Star-Spangled Banner, the Flag That Inspired the National Anthem

How the flag that flew proudly over Fort McHenry in September 1814 made its way to the Smithsonian

Cate Lineberry ; Updated by Meilan Solly

On a rainy September 13, 1814, British warships sent a downpour of shells and rockets onto Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor, relentlessly pounding the American fort for 25 hours. The bombardment, known as the Battle of Baltimore , came only weeks after British forces attacked Washington, D.C., burning the United States Capitol, the Treasury and the White House (then known as the President’s House). It was another chapter in the ongoing War of 1812 .

A week earlier, Francis Scott Key , a 35-year-old American lawyer, had boarded the flagship of the British fleet on the Chesapeake Bay in hopes of persuading the enemy to release the physician William Beanes, a friend who had recently been arrested. Key’s tactics were successful, but because he and his companions had gained knowledge of the impending attack on Baltimore, the British did not yet let them go. Allowed to return to their own vessel, the Americans remained under heavy scrutiny. On September 13, Key and Beanes watched as the barrage of Fort McHenry began some eight miles away.

“It seemed as though mother earth had opened and was vomiting shot and shell in a sheet of fire and brimstone,” Key later wrote . But when darkness arrived, he saw only red erupting in the night sky. Given the scale of the attack, he was certain the British would win. The hours passed slowly, but in the clearing smoke of “the dawn’s early light” on September 14, he saw the American flag —not the British Union Jack—flying over the fort, announcing an American victory.

Key put his thoughts on paper while still on board the ship, setting his words to the tune of a popular English song. His brother-in-law, commander of a militia at Fort McHenry, read Key’s work and had it distributed under the name “Defense of Fort M’Henry.” The Baltimore Patriot newspaper soon published it, and within weeks, Key’s poem, now called “The Star-Spangled Banner,” appeared in print across the country, immortalizing his words and forever naming the flag it celebrated. The song remained popular throughout the 19th century, emerging as a symbol of unity during the Civil War, but only became the U.S.’s official national anthem in 1931.

The flag that inspired Key’s composition still survives today, though it’s fragile and worn by time. First lent to the Smithsonian Institution in 1907, this iconic artifact is now on view in its own state-of-the-art gallery at the National Museum of American History (NMAH).

“The Star-Spangled Banner is a symbol of American history that ranks with the Statue of Liberty and the Charters of Freedom,” said Brent D. Glass , the museum’s then-director, in 2007. “The fact that it [was] entrusted to the National Museum of American History is an honor.”

The flag’s beginnings

The flag’s history starts not with Key, but rather a year earlier, with Major George Armistead , the commander of Fort McHenry. Knowing that his fort was a likely British target, Armistead, in the summer of 1813, told the commander of Baltimore’s defenses that he needed a flag—a big one: “We, sir, are ready at Fort McHenry to defend Baltimore against invading by the enemy … except that we have no suitable ensign to display over the Star Fort, and it is my desire to have a flag so large that the British will have no difficulty seeing it from a distance.”

Armistead soon hired a 37-year-old widow and professional flagmaker, Mary Young Pickersgill , to make a 30-by-42-foot garrison flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes, one for each of the then-15 states. Over the next six or so weeks, Pickersgill, her daughter, two of her nieces, a 13-year-old indentured servant and possibly her mother used 300 yards of English wool bunting to sew the flag. They made the stars, each measuring two feet in diameter, from cotton—a luxury item at the time. Initially, the group worked in Pickersgill’s home (now a private museum known as the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House ), but as their work progressed, they needed more room, so they moved to a brewery across the street. On August 19, 1813, the flag was delivered to Fort McHenry.

For making the Star-Spangled Banner, Pickersgill was paid $405.90 (almost $8,000 today ). She received another $168.54 (around $3,300 today ) for sewing a smaller, 17-by-25-foot storm flag, likely using the same design. It was this storm flag—not the garrison flag now known as the Star-Spangled Banner—that actually flew during the battle. The garrison flag, according to eyewitness accounts, wasn’t raised until the morning of September 14, 1814.

Armistead remained in command of Fort McHenry for the rest of his short life. Historians are unsure how the Armistead family came into possession of the flag, but upon the military officer’s death in 1818, his wife, Louisa Hughes Armistead, inherited it. She likely sewed a red upside-down “V” (or perhaps the start of the letter “A,” for Armistead) onto the flag. Louisa is also thought to have begun the tradition of giving away pieces of the flag to honor her husband’s memory, as well as the memories of the soldiers who defended the fort under his command.

When Louisa died in 1861, she passed the flag down to her daughter, Georgiana Armistead Appleton , over the legal objections of her son. “Georgiana was the only child born at the fort, and she was named for her father,” said Suzanne Thomassen-Krauss , then a textile conservator at NMAH, in 2007. “Louisa wanted Georgiana to have it.”

The missing pieces

In 1873, Appleton lent the flag to George Preble , a flag historian who had previously thought the artifact was lost. That same year, Preble had the first known photograph of the flag taken at the Boston Navy Yard. He then exhibited it at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, where it remained until 1876.

While the Star-Spangled Banner was under Preble’s care, Appleton allowed him to give away pieces of the flag as he saw fit. She, too, had given away cuttings of the flag to other Armistead descendants, as well as family friends. Appleton once noted , “Had we given all that we have been importuned for, little would be left to show.” This family tradition continued through 1880, when Armistead’s grandson gave away the last documented piece, according to Thomassen-Krauss.

Several of these cuttings from the Star-Spangled Banner have been located over the years, including about a dozen owned by NMAH . “We’re aware of at least a dozen more that exist in other museums and private collections,” said curator Kathleen Kendrick in 2007.

But a missing 15th star has never been found. “There’s a legend that the star was buried with one of the soldiers from Fort McHenry; another says that it was given to Abraham Lincoln,” Kendrick explained. “But no real evidence has surfaced to support these stories, and the true fate of the star remains one of the Smithsonian’s great unsolved mysteries.”

Preserving a national icon at the Smithsonian

After Appleton’s death in 1878, the flag passed to her son Eben Appleton , who lent it to Baltimore for that city’s 1880 sesquicentennial celebration. It remained in a safe deposit vault in New York City until 1907, when Eben lent it to the Smithsonian. Five years later, he made the gift permanent , saying he wanted the flag to belong “to that Institution in the country where it could be conveniently seen by the public and where it would be well cared for.”

When the flag arrived at the Smithsonian, it was smaller, just 30 by 34 feet, damaged from years of use at the fort and the removal of pieces as souvenirs. Recognizing the need for repairs, the Smithsonian hired Amelia Fowler , an embroidery teacher and well-known flag preserver, to replace the canvas backing that had been added in 1873. While working for the United States Naval Academy , Fowler had patented a method of supporting fragile flags with a linen backing that required a honeycomb pattern of stitches. With the help of ten needlewomen, Fowler spent eight weeks in 1914 restoring the flag, receiving $1,243 (around $39,000 today ) for the materials and work.

For the next 50 years, apart from a brief move during World War II, the Star-Spangled Banner was displayed in what is now the Arts and Industries Building . The glass case holding the flag wasn’t long enough to show the entire piece of fabric, so its lower half was folded up.

It was only in 1964 that the public was able to view the flag in its entirety. That year, the flag became the centerpiece of the new National Museum of History and Technology (now NMAH), which had ample space to allow the national treasure to hang freely. The Star-Spangled Banner remained in Flag Hall until 1998, when it taken down to undergo extensive conservation .

Started in 1996, the Star-Spangled Banner preservation project was planned with the help of historians, conservators, curators, engineers and organic scientists. Conservators began working on the flag in 1999, when construction of a conservation lab at the museum was completed. Over the next several years, they clipped 1.7 million stitches from the flag to remove the linen backing that had been added in 1914, lifted debris using dry cosmetic sponges and brushed the flag with an acetone-water mixture to remove soils embedded in fibers. Finally, they added a sheer polyester backing to help support the flag.

“Our goal was to extend [the flag’s] usable lifetime,” said Thomassen-Krauss. The intent was never to make the flag look as it did when it first flew over Fort McHenry. “We didn’t want to change any of the history written on the artifact by stains and soil,” the conservator added. “Those marks tell the flag’s story.”

While the conservators worked, the public looked on. By 2006, when NMAH closed for a two-year renovation , more than 12 million people had peered into the museum’s glass conservation lab to observe the process.

NMAH reopened in November 2008, with the Star-Spangled Banner now displayed in its own climate-controlled gallery. As Glass said ahead of the reopening, “The survival of this flag for nearly 200 years is a visible testimony to the strength and perseverance of this nation, and we hope that it will inspire many more generations to come.”

Reflecting on the Star-Spangled Banner’s significance, Kendrick said:

The Star-Spangled Banner resonates with people in different ways, for different reasons. It’s exciting to realize that you’re looking at the very same flag that Francis Scott Key saw on that September morning in 1814. But the Star-Spangled Banner is more than an artifact—it’s also a national symbol. It evokes powerful emotions and ideas about what it means to be an American.

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Cate Lineberry | READ MORE

Cate Lineberry was an associate web editor at Smithsonian magazine.

Meilan Solly | | READ MORE

Meilan Solly is Smithsonian magazine's senior associate digital editor, history.

A Summary and Analysis of Francis Scott Key’s ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the United States national anthem, ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’. But the fate of national anthems is that their opening lines are often imprinted upon the minds of almost everyone, while the rest of the lyrics are as unfamiliar to readers and listeners as if they had been written in a different language.

Although it’s now known by the title ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ (or just ‘the United States national anthem’), the words to the US national anthem actually come from a poem titled ‘The Defence of Fort M’Henry’. What’s more, the man who wrote them wasn’t even a celebrated poet in his own time: he was a lawyer by profession and only wrote poetry as a hobby.

Key wrote ‘The Defence of Fort M’Henry’ on September 14, 1814 about his experience witnessing the British fleet’s bombardment of Fort McHenry (in Baltimore Harbour) during the Battle of Baltimore, a battle of the War of 1812 between Britain and the US.

When the United States won the battle, they proudly displayed the then-relatively-new US flag with its stars and stripes (the ‘star-spangled banner’ of the anthem’s eventual title) from Fort McHenry.

O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there; O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Francis Scott Key directs his readers (or listeners) to observe the US flag, whose ‘broad stripes and bright stars’ continued to stream or flap as the battle below raged.

Now, as the new day dawns following the US defeat of the British fleet, the flag continues to ‘wave’ over the country which is still ‘the land of the free and the home of the brave’, now the American troops have defended their soil against the Brits.

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam, In full glory reflected now shines in the stream: ’Tis the star-spangled banner, O long may it wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The mists from the sea obscure the flag from view, while the wind blowing it obscures it, before blowing it back into place, revealing it again. Counterbalancing this attention to mist and obscurity, there’s an emphasis on light: the ‘morning’s first beam’ of sunlight ‘shines’ in ‘full glory’ on the ‘banner’ – a banner itself displaying stars, of course.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion, A home and a country, should leave us no more? Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution. 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, O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Where the second stanza called the British fleet a ‘haughty host’, suggesting it was sheer arrogance and superiority which led the Brits to attack Baltimore Harbour and Fort McHenry, Key continues this line of argument in the third stanza: the British navy ‘vauntingly swore’ that the confusion of battle would leave the Americans without a home or a country. (It’s worth bearing in mind that less than forty years earlier, the United States was still fighting a war with Britain over US independence.)

But, in a clever image, Key says that the confident footprints the British left as they marched to attack the American fort have been washed away by the blood of the British wounded and slain; it’s a neat metaphor that encapsulates the idea of arrogance being destroyed by humiliating defeat.

O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation. Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’ And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Again, the emphasis in this final stanza is on freedom – the freedom of the American people, ‘freemen’ who no longer live under the British yoke. But Francis Scott Key attributes the American victory to God, ‘the Power that hath made and preserved us as nation’.

Americans place their trust in God for supporting their campaign, and their defence of their new nation. America is a ‘Heav’n rescued land’, a country saved from destruction by God’s hand.

But freedom is the message that shines through more than any other. The US flag with its stars and stripes waves freely over the land of the free, declaring America’s freedom from tyranny or oppression at the hands of another power.

This is a message carried by many other national anthems, unofficial or otherwise: one of Britain’s most popular national songs (although not its national anthem), ‘ Rule, Britannia ’, proudly proclaims that ‘Britons never, never, never shall be slaves’. (Ironically, in light of the circumstances surrounding the composition of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’, ‘Rule, Britannia’ is about the might of the British navy: ‘Britannia, rule the waves’.)

Throughout ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’, Francis Scott Key uses the refrain, ‘O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave’. These words, of course, have become famous beyond the poem (or song): many people refer to the United States as the ‘land of the free’, especially.

So, ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ started life as a poem called ‘The Defence of Fort M’Henry’, was written not by one of America’s leading poets of the day but by an amateur, and – despite being written in 1814 – only became the official US national anthem in 1931. If things had been a little different, ‘ Hail, Columbia ’, ‘ America the Beautiful ’, or even ‘ My Country, ’Tis of Thee ’ were all contenders for that honour.

Francis Scott Key was, of course, long dead by the time his poem became the lyrical basis for his country’s national anthem. By then, his name was attached to another famous American writer, Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald – better known as F. Scott Fitzgerald – who was Key’s second cousin, three times removed. Fittingly, one of Fitzgerald’s working titles for his most famous novel, The Great Gatsby , was ‘Under the Red, White and Blue’.

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10 thoughts on “A Summary and Analysis of Francis Scott Key’s ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’”

I never knew that Key and Fitzgerland were related. You learn something new every day!

Quite distantly, by all accounts – several generations removed and all that. But it’s quite nice that Fitzgerald was named after Key!

The tune of the Star Spangled Banner is adapted from an old English drinking song. The adaptation of it as the “National Anthem” was implemented until 1916 by Woodrow Wilson but it was not officially adapted until 1931. It has been a song of controversy since the beginning as it was originally designated and lobbied into popularity as a national anthem when it was used for state events as a patriotic song largely by the Antebellum South along side their push to establish “Decoration Day” to honor fallen Confederates. It’s inferences to slavery with lyrics written by Key, a slave holder, continue to remain a subtext in it’s verses and keep the song in a controversial light. The New York Times most recently in 2018 did an article on it but it has been discussed over and over throughout the decades – much of which can be found online if you want to study it further.

It’s a rare American who can even make an attempt to remember more than the first verse. An old joke, based on the anthem’s use before sporting events, is the the second verse of the “Star Spangled Banner” is the head umpire’s call: “Play Ball!”

The actual flag in the poem survives, and even today is quite a large flag. I believe, as the poem sort of describes, it wasn’t just hoisted at the end of the battle, but flown during the whole fight and designed to be visible from a distance to serve as a beacon on the status of the British attack.

In America we seem to be big on lawyer-poets. Besides Key’s one hit wonder, there’s Wallace Stevens, Archibald MacLeish, Edgar Lee Masters, and William Cullen Bryant. And I’ve suspected Emily Dickinson of picking up some elements of her male family member’s law trade, particularly in the exactitude in which certain abstract words work in her compressed verse.

Are there any British barrister-poets?

Yes, Yvonne Green is a celebrated poet and British barrister !

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The New York Times most recently in 2018 did an article on it but it has been discussed over and over throughout the decades – much of which can be found online if you want to study it further.

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The Star-Spangled Banner: The Flag that Inspired the National Anthem Homepage

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In this online exhibition, students will explore the story of the Star-Spangled Banner by learning about the War of 1812 and the Battle of Baltimore; Mary Pickersgill and the making of the flag; Francis Scott Key and the song that became the national anthem; the legacy of the flag and its use as a patriotic symbol; and the efforts undertaken to preserve the flag as a national treasure. This resource includes interactive activities and educational resources that can be used to further enhance this exploration of the flag that inspired the national anthem.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1 (Key Ideas and Details): Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.3 (Key Ideas and Details): Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4 (Craft and Structure): Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.5 (Craft and Structure): Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.6 (Craft and Structure): Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7 (Integration of Knowledge and Ideas): Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.8 (Integration of Knowledge and Ideas): Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.9 (Integration of Knowledge and Ideas): Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.10 (Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity): Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.1 (Text Types and Purposes): Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.2 (Text Types and Purposes): Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.3 (Text Types and Purposes): Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4 (Production and Distribution of Writing): Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.5 (Production and Distribution of Writing): Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.6 (Production and Distribution of Writing): Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.7 (Research to Build and Present Knowledge): Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.8 (Research to Build and Present Knowledge): Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.9 (Research to Build and Present Knowledge): Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1 (Comprehension and Collaboration): Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2 (Comprehension and Collaboration): Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.3 (Comprehension and Collaboration): Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.4 (Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas): Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.5 (Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas): Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.6 (Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas): Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards

1: developing questions and planning inquiries.

D1.1.9-12. (Compelling Questions): Explain how a question reflects an enduring issue in the field.

D1.2.9-12. (Compelling Questions): Explain points of agreement and disagreement experts have about interpretations and applications of disciplinary concepts and ideas associated with a compelling question.

D1.3.9-12. (Constructing Supporting Questions): Explain points of agreement and disagreement experts have about interpretations and applications of disciplinary concepts and ideas associated with a supporting question.

D1.4.9-12. (Constructing Supporting Questions): Explain how supporting questions contribute to an inquiry and how, through engaging source work, new compelling and supporting questions emerge.

D1.5.9-12. (Determining Helpful Sources): Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions, taking into consideration multiple points of view represented in the sources, the types of sources available, and the potential uses of the sources.

2: Applying Disciplinary Tools and Concepts

D2.Civ.1.9-12. (Civics): Distinguish the powers and responsibilities of local, state, tribal, national, and international civic and political institutions.

D2.Civ.2.9-12. (Civics): Analyze the role of citizens in the U.S. political system, with attention to various theories of democracy, changes in Americans' participation over time, and alternative models from other countries, past and present.

D2.Civ.3.9-12. (Civics): Analyze the impact of constitutions, laws, treaties, and international agreements on the maintenance of national and international order.

D2.Civ.4.9-12.(Civics): Explain how the U.S. Constitution establishes a system of government that has powers, responsibilities, and limits that have changed over time and that are still contested.

D2.Civ.5.9-12. (Civics): Evaluate citizens' and institutions' effectiveness in addressing social and political problems at the local, state, tribal, national, and/or international level.

D2.Civ.6.9-12. (Civics): Critique relationships among governments, civil societies, and economic markets.

D2.Civ.7.9-12. (Civics): Apply civic virtues and democratic principles when working with others.

D2.Civ.8.9-12. (Civics): Evaluate social and political systems in different contexts, times, and places, that promote civic virtues and enact democratic principles.

D2.Civ.9.9-12 (Civics): Use appropriate deliberative processes in multiple settings.

D2.Civ.10.9-12. (Civics): Analyze the impact and the appropriate roles of personal interests and perspectives on the application of civic virtues, democratic principles, constitutional rights, and human rights.

D2.Civ.11.9-12. (Civics): Evaluate multiple procedures for making governmental decisions at the local, state, national, and international levels in terms of the civic purposes achieved.

D2.Civ.12.9-12. (Civics): Analyze how people use and challenge local, state, national, and international laws to address a variety of public issues.

D2.Civ.13.9-12. (Civics): Evaluate public policies in terms of intended and unintended outcomes, and related consequences.

D2.Civ.14.9-12. (Civics): Analyze historical, contemporary, and emerging means of changing societies, promoting the common good, and protecting rights.

D2.Eco.1.9-12. (Economics): Analyze how incentives influence choices that may result in policies with a range of costs and benefits for different groups.

D2.Eco.2.9-12. (Economics): Use marginal benefits and marginal costs to construct an argument for or against an approach or solution to an economic issue.

D2.Eco.3.9-12. (Economics): Analyze the ways in which incentives influence what is produced and distributed in a market system.

D2.Eco.4.9-12. (Economics): Evaluate the extent to which competition among sellers and among buyers exists in specific markets.

D2.Eco.5.9-12. (Economics): Describe the consequences of competition in specific markets.

D2.Eco.6.9-12. (Economics): Generate possible explanations for a government role in markets when market inefficiencies exist.

D2.Eco.7.9-12. (Economics): Use benefits and costs to evaluate the effectiveness of government policies to improve market outcomes.

D2.Eco.8.9-12. (Economics): Describe the possible consequences, both intended and unintended, of government policies to improve market outcomes.

D2.Eco.9.9-12. (Economics): Describe the roles of institutions such as clearly defined property rights and the rule of law in a market economy.

D2.Eco.10.9-12. (Economics): Use current data to explain the influence of changes in spending, production, and the money supply on various economic conditions.

D2.Eco.11.9-12. (Economics): Use economic indicators to analyze the current and future state of the economy.

D2.Eco.12.9-12. (Economics): Evaluate the selection of monetary and fiscal policies in a variety of economic conditions.

D2.Eco.13.9-12. (Economics): Explain why advancements in technology and investments in capital goods and human capital increase economic growth and standards of living.

D2.Eco.14.9-12. (Economics): Analyze the role of comparative advantage in international trade of goods and services.

D2.Eco.15.9-12. (Economics): Explain how current globalization trends and policies affect economic growth, labor markets, rights of citizens, the environment, and resource and income distribution in different nations.

D2.Geo.1.9-12. (Geography): Use geospatial and related technologies to create maps to display and explain the spatial patterns of cultural and environmental characteristics.

D2.Geo.2.9-12. (Geography): Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions and their political, cultural, and economic dynamics.

D2.Geo.3.9-12. (Geography): Use geographic data to analyze variations in the spatial patterns of cultural and environmental characteristics at multiple scales.

D2.Geo.4.9-12. (Geography): Analyze relationships and interactions within and between human and physical systems to explain reciprocal influences that occur among them.

D2.Geo.5.9-12. (Geography): Evaluate how political and economic decisions throughout time have influenced cultural and environmental characteristics of various places and regions.

D2.Geo.6.9-12. (Geography): Evaluate the impact of human settlement activities on the environmental and cultural characteristics of specific places and regions.

D2.Geo.7.9-12. (Geography): Analyze the reciprocal nature of how historical events and the spatial diffusion of ideas, technologies, and cultural practices have influenced migration patterns and the distribution of human population.

D2.Geo.8.9-12. (Geography): Evaluate the impact of economic activities and political decisions on spatial patterns within and among urban, suburban, and rural regions.

D2.Geo.9.9-12. (Geography): Evaluate the influence of long-term climate variability on human migration and settlement patterns, resource use, and land uses at local-to-global scales.

D2.Geo.10.9-12. (Geography): Evaluate how changes in the environmental and cultural characteristics of a place or region influence spatial patterns of trade and land use.

D2.Geo.11.9-12. (Geography): Evaluate how economic globalization and the expanding use of scarce resources contribute to conflict and cooperation within and among countries.

D2.Geo.12.9-12. (Geography): Evaluate the consequences of human-made and natural catastrophes on global trade, politics, and human migration.

D2.His.1.9-12. (History): Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts.

D2.His.2.9-12. (History): Analyze change and continuity in historical eras.

D2.His.3.9-12. (History): Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context.

D2.His.4.9-12. (History): Analyze complex and interacting factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras.

D2.His.5.9-12. (History): Analyze how historical contexts shaped and continue to shape people's perspectives.

D2.His.6.9-12. (History): Analyze the ways in which the perspectives of those writing history shaped the history that they produced.

D2.His.7.9-12. (History): Explain how the perspectives of people in the present shape interpretations of the past.

D2.His.8.9-12. (History): Analyze how current interpretations of the past are limited by the extent to which available historical sources represent perspectives of people at the time.

D2.His.9.9-12. (History): Analyze the relationship between historical sources and the secondary interpretations made from them.

D2.His.10.9-12. (History): Detect possible limitations in various kinds of historical evidence and differing secondary interpretations.

D2.His.11.9-12. (History): Critique the usefulness of historical sources for a specific historical inquiry based on their maker, date, place of origin, intended audience, and purpose.

D2.His.12.9-12. (History): Use questions generated about multiple historical sources to pursue further inquiry and investigate additional sources.

D2.His.13.9-12. (History): Critique the appropriateness of the historical sources used in a secondary interpretation.

D2.His.14.9-12. (History): Analyze multiple and complex causes and effects of events in the past.

D2.His.15.9-12. (History): Distinguish between long-term causes and triggering events in developing a historical argument.

D2.His.16.9-12. (History): Integrate evidence from multiple relevant historical sources and interpretations into a reasoned argument about the past.

D2.His.17.9-12. (History): Critique the central arguments in secondary works of history on related topics in multiple media in terms of their historical accuracy.

3: Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence

D3.1.9-12. (Gathering and Evaluating Sources): Gather relevant information from multiple sources representing a wide range of views while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.

D3.2.9-12. (Gathering and Evaluating Sources): Evaluate the credibility of a source by examining how experts value the source.

D3.3.9-12. (Developing Claims and Using Evidence): Identify evidence that draws information directly and substantively from multiple sources to detect inconsistencies in evidence in order to revise or strengthen claims.

D3.4.9-12. (Developing Claims and Using Evidence): Refine claims and counterclaims attending to precision, significance, and knowledge conveyed through the claim while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both.

4: Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Action

D4.1.9-12. (Communicating and Critiquing Conclusions): Construct arguments using precise and knowledgeable claims, with evidence from multiple sources, while acknowledging counterclaims and evidentiary weaknesses.

D4.2.9-12. (Communicating and Critiquing Conclusions): Construct explanations using sound reasoning, correct sequence (linear or non-linear), examples, and details with significant and pertinent information and data, while acknowledging the strengths and weaknesses of the explanation given its purpose (e.g., cause and effect, chronological, procedural, technical).

D4.3.9-12. (Communicating and Critiquing Conclusions): Present adaptations of arguments and explanations that feature evocative ideas and perspectives on issues and topics to reach a range of audiences and venues outside the classroom using print and oral technologies (e.g., posters, essays, letters, debates, speeches, reports, and maps) and digital technologies (e.g., Internet, social media, and digital documentary).

D4.4.9-12. (Communicating and Critiquing Conclusions): Critique the use of claims and evidence in arguments for credibility.

D4.5.9-12. (Communicating and Critiquing Conclusions): Critique the use of the reasoning, sequencing, and supporting details of explanations.

D4.6.9-12. (Taking Informed Action): Use disciplinary and interdisciplinary lenses to understand the characteristics and causes of local, regional, and global problems; instances of such problems in multiple contexts; and challenges and opportunities faced by those trying to address these problems over time and place.

D4.7.9-12. (Taking Informed Action): Assess options for individual and collective action to address local, regional, and global problems by engaging in self-reflection, strategy identification, and complex causal reasoning.

D4.8.9-12. (Taking Informed Action): Apply a range of deliberative and democratic strategies and procedures to make decisions and take action in their classrooms, schools, and out-of-school civic contexts.

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This Day In History : September 14

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Francis Scott Key pens “The Star‑Spangled Banner”

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 . Key was inspired by the sight of a lone U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak, as reflected in the now-famous words of the “ Star-Spangled Banner ”: “And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.”

Francis Scott Key was born on August 1, 1779, at Terra Rubra, his family’s estate in Frederick County (now Carroll County), Maryland. He became a successful lawyer in Maryland and Washington, D.C. , and was later appointed U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.

On June 18, 1812, America declared war on Great Britain after a series of trade disagreements. In August 1814, British troops invaded Washington, D.C., and burned the White House , Capitol Building and Library of Congress . Their next target was Baltimore.

After one of Key’s friends, Dr. William Beanes, was taken prisoner by the British, Key went to Baltimore, located the ship where Beanes was being held and negotiated his release. However, Key and Beanes weren’t allowed to leave until after the British bombardment of Fort McHenry. Key watched the bombing campaign unfold from aboard a ship located about eight miles away. After a day, the British were unable to destroy the fort and gave up. Key was relieved to see the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry and quickly penned a few lines in tribute to what he had witnessed.

The poem was printed in newspapers and eventually set to the music of a popular English drinking tune called “To Anacreon in Heaven” by composer John Stafford Smith. People began referring to the song as “The Star-Spangled Banner” and in 1916 President Woodrow Wilson announced that it should be played at all official events. It was adopted as the national anthem on March 3, 1931.

Francis Scott Key died of pleurisy on January 11, 1843. 

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The Star-Spangled Banner: A Guide to Resources

Introduction.

• Frequently Asked Questions
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• Controversies
• Sheet Music
• Sound Recordings
• Selected Videos
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Author: James Wintle, Reference specialist, Music Division

Editors: Cait Miller, Reference Specialist, Music Division

Robin Rausch, Head of Reader Services, Music Division

Note:  The purpose of this guide is to provide access to digital resources at the Library of Congress related to The Star-Spangled Banner.

Created:  February 08, 2021

Last Updated:  February 08, 2021

On September 14, 1814, after witnessing the failed bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British, Francis Scott Key, a Georgetown lawyer and poet, wrote the contrafactum song, " Defence of Fort McHenry ," a four stanza poem to be sung to the popular tune " Anacreon in Heaven " by English composer John Stafford Smith which would later be known as the Star-Spangled Banner. Key witnessed the battle after he and John Stuart Skinner, a lawyer, publisher, and prisoner of war exchange officer, had been permitted by President James Madison to negotiate the freedom of Dr. William Beanes, an American physician arrested as a spy. Key and Skinner arrived in the Chesapeake Bay on an American truce ship and boarded the HMS Tonnant, commanded by Admiral Alexander Cochrane. Many days of negotiation eventually led to Barnes' release. Key, Skinner, and Barnes were then transferred to the HMS Surprise and then to their own ship on September 13th. Their ship was tethered to a British ship to prevent them from returning to Baltimore due to the information they had gathered during the negotiation. They witnessed the battle from the deck of their American truce ship. The next morning, on September 14th, Key was inspired to write the poem "Defence of Fort McHenry" when he saw the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry. He wrote the poem in the correct meter to fit the popular English song " Anacreon in Heaven ." On their way back to Baltimore, Key showed the poem to Skinner, who is probably the person who eventually passed it along to a young printer's assistant named Samuel Sands, who typeset and printed the poem just a few days later.

The history of Key's poem and the resulting song, "The Star-Spangled Banner," which today traditionally includes only the poem's first stanza, has a complex history and has been the subject of many controversies, including its relative musical difficulty, its alleged origins as a drinking song, anti-British sentiment in the lyrics, and the much-discussed third stanza, which includes the couplet, "No refuge could save the hireling and slave from the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave," in which the slave-holding poet seems to reference formerly enslaved persons who were enticed by the promise of freedom to join the British army's " Corps of Colonial Marines External ." It is also possible that Key was referring to the British army as a whole. Hired guns that fought without passion for their cause contrasted with the "freemen" of the American army in the fourth verse. Key may have been mirroring the language of George Robert Chinnery's famous 1810 poem " The Statue of the Dying Gladiator External ," which reads, "Haply to grace some Caesar's pageant pride, the hero-slave or hireling-champion died, When Rome, degenerate Rome, for barbarous shows, Barter'd their virtue, glory, and repose, Sold all that freemen prize as great and good, for pomp of death, and theatres of blood!" The same terminology is found in a 1789 issue of the " Gazette of the United States " in which the anonymous author "Americanus" writes, "It is time that this country should begin to trade on its own capital, and not continue to be the slave or hireling of an imperious master." Key never discussed the meaning of his poem or the sources he may or may not have drawn from, so any analysis of the content is necessarily speculative.

Despite these controversies, the Star-Spangled Banner officially became the National Anthem of the United States of America External on March 3, 1931. It was signed into law by President Herbert Hoover. Since then, it has been performed in myriad styles reflecting the ever-changing musical culture of the United States. There have been significant musical changes to the song since its initial publication, which can be seen by comparing sheet music editions provided in this guide and additional stanzas written by poet Oliver Wendell Holmes and sculptor Emma Stebbins during the American Civil War. Just as the United States as a whole must acknowledge the terrible history of slavery and continue to move forward as a unified nation, the Star-Spangled Banner has constantly been evolving since its inception. Classic performances by African-American artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, and Beyoncé have given audiences a fresh perspective on the anthem in recent times, adding to its legacy. The history of the Star-Spangled Banner is a story that gains a new chapter each time it is performed. Perhaps it is the adaptability of the song that allows it to be a vehicle to simultaneously celebrate our triumphs and acknowledge our painful past while continuing to reflect the spirit of the United States of America.

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The Performing Arts Reading Room is the access point for the collections in the custody of the Music Division at the Library of Congress. Numbering approximately 20.5 million items and spanning more than 1000 years of Western music history and practice, these holdings include the classified music and book collections, music and literary manuscripts, iconography, microforms, periodicals, musical instruments, published and unpublished copyright deposits, and close to 500 special collections in music, theater, and dance.

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United States of America National Anthem: Star Spangled Banner Listen to the National Anthem

Oh, say can you see, By the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed At the twilight's last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars, Thru the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched Were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets red glare, The bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night That our flag was still there. O, say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave O'er the land of the free And the home of the brave?

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National Anthems and National Symbolism: Singing the Nation

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There is a commonly held belief that national anthems have a unique power over people. They are examples of unisonance , which is a situation where people, wholly unknown to one another, utter the same verses to the same melody. This unisonance effectively and efficiently allows “each” person to sing the music of the “whole” nation with “all” other citizens. National anthems are now a single – but powerful – part of the paraphernalia of national packaging, alongside flags, currency, or postage stamps, the iconography that many of us inherit and which we come to regard as both normal and normative. Yet although the words of these songs are often banal and their tunes mediocre, simultaneously singing an imagined sound seems to bring people together. Thus national anthems constitute a serious business, and that is why they are played and sung at the most solemn moments dedicated to performing a nation’s spirit, as singing and listening to them generates raised feelings of pride and patriotism. And although music often acts as a unifying factor in social contexts and is often flaunted as being a universalizing phenomenon, it also often serves as a rallying point for expressing personal and group identities, thereby exaggerating rather than minimizing differences. This is the case with national anthems.

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Waterman, S. (2019). National Anthems and National Symbolism: Singing the Nation. In: Brunn, S., Kehrein, R. (eds) Handbook of the Changing World Language Map. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73400-2_102-1

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10 Things to Know About India's National Anthem

Experience the journey of the song 'jana gana mana'.

By Google Arts & Culture

Rabindranath in the role of blind singer by Abanindranath Tagore Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata

India's National Anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana', is an adoption from the writings of the poet and playwright, Rabindranath Tagore.

Tagore Sw Robinoranath 1861-1941 Indian Poet Of Author LIFE Photo Collection

The lines of India's National Anthem are taken from Rabindranath Tagore's song,  'Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata'.  

The original was written in Bengali and the full song has 5 stanzas. The text was first published in 1905, in an issue of Tatwabodhini Patrika.

Town Hall, Calcutta (1850s) by Captain R. B. Hill The Metropolitan Museum of Art

In 1911, the session held by Indian National Congress, in Calcutta, on 27th December, became the first location where the song was sung publicly – and Tagore sang it himself. 

'The Morning Song of India', English Translation of 'Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata' (1919-02-28) by Rabindranath Tagore

On February 28th, 1919, Tagore wrote down an English interpretation of the full Bengali song, and titled it  'The Morning Song of India'.  This was requested by Dr. Cousins of the Besant Theosophical College at Madnapalle, where Tagore was visiting.

Dinendranath in the role of ‘Sardar’ (1916) by Abanindranath Tagore Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata

The melody for the full song, slow-paced, and in raga   Alhaiya Bilawal , is attributed to Rabindranath himself. Rabindranath's grand-nephew, Dinendranath Tagore, a great musician himself, may have helped conceive it. Another harmonised score was created when the song was played by Hamburg Radio Symphony Orchestra in Germany in 1942.

Making of the Indian Constitution (1946-1950) (1946-12-09/1950-01-24) Nehru Memorial Museum and Library

On 24 January 1950 (before India's first Republic Day on 26th), the first stanza of Tagore's "Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata" was officially declared as the National Anthem of India by the Constituent Assembly of India. 

LIFE Photo Collection

Subhash Chandra Bose was key in making the selection of the national anthem. Subsequently, he adapted from Tagore's original, another version of the song with Hindi and Urdu words, called  ‘Shubh Sukh Chain’.

Bharat Bhagya Vidhata (1964) by TIFR Archives Tata Institute of Fundamental Research

The artist, Maqbool Fida Hussain, created an artwork, the title of which is derived from the lines of the National Anthem 'Bharata Bhagya Vidhata'.

Reception area of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research by TIFR Archives Tata Institute of Fundamental Research

This 45-feet mural is still seen on the wall at Tata Fundamental Institute of Research, in Mumbai.

Rabindranath in the role of ‘blind singer’ (1916) by Abanindranath Tagore Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata

For certain tributary occasions, just the opening and closing line of the anthem is sung as a shorter version.

'Sounds of India' Experience

Celebrate India's 74th Independence Day

Sing 'Jana Gana Mana' with millions of others virtually! A specially designed experiment in collaboration with Prasar Bharati (the national broadcaster of India), and Virtual Bharat using artificial intelligence (AI) will convert your singing into the sounds of selected Indian musical instruments. Explore the experience at g.co/SoundsofIndia

Between August 1st to 10th, users from across India contributed their voices through the AI experiment. The result was a unique re-creation of the national anthem.

~ Discover more about Rabindranath Tagore or about the Tagore brothers with Victoria Memorial Hall . ~ Explore musical instruments and the legends of Indian music with Indian Music Experience Museum ~ Learn more about the story behind MF Husain's mural at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. ~ Listen to the anthem's tune on violin played by Master Fazil Afzaal of Dilli Gharana at six years of age.

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National Anthem of India – Jana Gana Mana, Meaning, History and Facts

Table of Contents

National Anthem of India Jana Gana Mana, composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24 January. It is played on occasions of national importance.

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The National Anthem of India is a song sung by the people of India on various national occasions to pay respect to the nation. National Anthem of India starts from “ Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya He ” and ends at “ Jaya He, Jaya He, Jaya He, Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya He ”. The national anthem of India is a very short composition consisting of only fifty-two words. It is very simple and easy to remember. It is sung in the key of E flat major. It has a duration of about fifty-two seconds. The national anthem is very inspiring and it instills a sense of patriotism among the people.

Writer of National Anthem of India

The original national anthem was written by Rabindranath Tagore which was then translated into Hindi and Urdu by Abid Ali. The conversion of original song into the Hindi version by Ali was little different. The full version of the national anthem takes fifty-two seconds to sing whereas the shortened version (having first and last lines) takes 20 seconds to sing.

Translation of Jana Gana Mana into English Version

It was again translated into English version by Tagore. The full version of National Anthem is sung using the orchestral/choral adaptation (made by English composer, Herbert Murrill on request of Nehru). Another song (Amar Sonar Bangla) written by Tagore has been selected as the national anthem of Bangladesh.

History and Importance of Jana Gana Mana

National anthem (Jana-gana-mana) was originally composed by Rabindranath Tagore in Bengali. The Hindi version was adopted in 1950 on 24th of January by the Constituent Assembly. The lyrics and music of the national anthem was given by Rabindranath Tagore in 1911. It was first sung in Calcutta in the meeting of Indian National Congress on 27th of December in 1911.

Full version of national anthem was translated to English from Bengali and music was set in Madanapalle (a city in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh state).

Importance: National Anthem of a country is the pride of nation and induces a sense of patriotism, courage and nationalism amongst its citizens. It is a way to show respect towards the country and spread the message of unity and harmony. It is also a symbol of freedom, sovereignty and the rich cultural history of the nation. In schools helps to nurture the children with the positive vibes of patriotism since childhood and inculcate the feeling of respect and pride towards their country.

Singing of National Anthem is also a way to pay tribute to our great freedom fighters who fought for the country, and it also binds the whole nation with a single thread of unity and nationalism. The National Anthem of India is the praise of our motherland which helps us to feel proud and hopeful about our country. It showcases a distinct identity of our country’s history, culture, tradition, its people and regions.

National Anthem of India adopted On

The Indian national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, was officially adopted on January 24, 1950. This was the same day that the Constitution of India came into effect, and the country was declared a republic. The national anthem was chosen by the Constituent Assembly of India after considering several songs and ultimately selecting Rabindranath Tagore’s composition.

Lyrics of Jana Gana Mana Of India

The anthem is a poetic representation of India’s diverse heritage and shared destiny. The anthem’s lyrics have a profound and symbolic meaning, celebrating the diverse cultural and geographical aspects of India. Here are the lyrics of National Anthem Of India:

Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya Hey, Bharat Bhagya Vidhata Punjab Sindh Gujarat Maratha, Dravida Utkala Banga Vindhya Himachal Yamuna Ganga, Uchchala Jaladhi Taranga Tava Shubha Namey Jage, Tava Shubha Ashish Mage Gahe Tava Jaya Gatha Jana Gana Mangala Dayaka, Jaya Hey Bharat Bhagya Vidhata Jaya Hey Jaya Hey Jaya Hey Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey.

Also Read Related Articles

Full Version National Anthem of India

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he Bharata-bhagya-vidhata Panjaba-Sindha-Gujrata-Maharata- Dravida-Utkala-Vanga Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga Uchhala-Jaladhi-taranga Tava shubha name jage

Tava shubha ashisha mage Gave tava jaya-gatha Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he Bharata-bhagya-vidhata. Jaya he! Jaya he! Jaya he! Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!

English Translation

Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people, Thou Dispenser of India’s destiny. Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujrat and Maratha, Of Dravid, Orissa and Bengal.

It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, Mingles in the music of Jamna and Ganges and is chanted by the waves of the Indian sea. They pray for Thy blessings and sing thy praise. The saving of all people waits in thy hand, Thou Dispenser of India’s destiny, Victory, Victory, Victory to Thee.

Short Version

Short version of the national anthem consists of only first and last lines. It takes approximately 20 seconds to sing. It is sung on various national occasions.

“Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka jaya he

Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.

Jaya he, Jaya he, Jaya he,

jaya jaya jaya, jaya he.”

Meaning of National Anthem of India

The original version of the national anthem was translated to the English language and edited in 1950 to make some changes. ‘Sindh’ was replaced by ‘Sindhu’ as ‘Sindh’ was allocated to Pakistan after partition. The English meaning of the national anthem is as follows:

“Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,

Dispenser of India’s destiny.

Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindhu,

Gujarat and Maratha,

Of the Dravida and Odisha and Bengal;

It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,

mingles in the music of Yamuna and Ganges and is

chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.

They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.

The saving of all people waits in thy hand,

Thou dispenser of India’s destiny.

Victory, victory, victory to thee.”

Also Read: Difference between National Anthem and Song

What is Code of Conduct of National Anthem?

The code of conduct is the set of rules and regulations which should be followed while singing or playing the national anthem. There are some instructions which are issued from time to time by the government of India regarding the correct version of the anthem. The set timing of the national anthem to be sung is 52 seconds. Some of the rules and regulations have been made in order to pay respect and honour to the national anthem.

A law (The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971) has been implemented by the Indian government to prevent the intentional singing of National Anthem or insulting in any way shall be punished with the imprisonment of term (may be extended to three years) including fine. Following are the rules and regulations which shall be followed while playing or singing full version of the anthem:

It can be sung when National Salute, parade etc., is performed at some ceremonial occasions and formal State functions (organized by the government or public) in the presence of President, Governor, Lieutenant Governor etc. It can be sung before and after President’s addresses to the Nation and arrival of Governor or Lieutenant Governor. When presentation of regimental colours and hoisting of colors in Navy takes place. When special orders are issued by Indian Government on any occasion. Generally it is not played for Prime Minister however at some special occasions it may be played. When it is played by band, it should be preceded by roll of drums or when played to perform National Salute by a guard the drum roll duration must be 7 paces in slow march. First drum roll should be started slowly and go as loud as possible and again decrease to normal. When National Flag hoisting takes place on any cultural occasions. It can be sung in the schools in the morning before starting the day’s work by the students but proper manners should be maintained by the school authorities. All the audience must stand up and give attention while national anthem is sung or played.

Also Read: Republic Day Facts

Why theatres stopped playing the National Anthem in 1975?

Earlier to 1975, there was a custom to play the national anthem in the theatres after the film. However, it was later removed because of the disrespect of National Anthem by the people as they were not standing up and giving proper attention.

Again Supreme Court of India, on 30th November 2016 made it mandatory to play National Anthem in movie theatres before the screening of movies to instill the sense of patriotism among people. However due to many controversies and violent incidents arising after the order, Supreme Court, on 09th January 2018, reversed the order of making it mandatory to play National Anthem in movie theaters.

Related Information:

• Independence Day
• Republic Day
• National Song of India

FAQs on National Anthem of India

What is the full national anthem.

The full National Anthem of India is 'Jana Gana Mana,' consisting of five stanzas.

What is the main purpose of the National Anthem?

The main purpose of the National Anthem is to express unity and pride in the nation.

How many lines are in the National Anthem of India?

The National Anthem of India, 'Jana Gana Mana,' has 5 stanzas with multiple lines in each.

Who wrote the National Anthem in India?

The National Anthem of India, 'Jana Gana Mana,' was written by Rabindranath Tagore.

What is India's national song?

India's national song is 'Vande Mataram,' written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

Is Jana Gana Mana in Sanskrit or Bengali?

'Jana Gana Mana' was originally written in Bengali.

Is the Indian National Anthem written in Sanskrit?

No, the Indian National Anthem is written in Bengali, not Sanskrit.

Who translated the National Anthem to Hindi?

The National Anthem was not translated; it was written in Bengali but adapted to Hindi pronunciation.

Who is the first writer of the National Anthem?

Rabindranath Tagore is the first and only writer of the Indian National Anthem.

Who sang Jana Gana Mana first?

'Jana Gana Mana' was first sung by a group of students in 1911 at the Indian National Congress session.

Which anthem is written by Rabindranath Tagore?

Rabindranath Tagore wrote the Indian National Anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana.'

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National Anthem of India

Jana gana mana.

National Anthem of India is a song sung by the people of India on various national occasions to pay respect to the nation. National Anthem of India starts from “Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya He” and ends at “Jaya He, Jaya He, Jaya He, Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya He”. It was written in highly Sanskritised Tatsama Bengali language.

Writer of National Anthem of India

The original national anthem was written by Rabindranath Tagore which was then translated into Hindi and Urdu by Abid Ali. The conversion of original song into the Hindi version by Ali was little different. The full version of the national anthem takes fifty-two seconds to sing whereas the shortened version (having first and last lines) takes 20 seconds to sing.

Translation of National Anthem into English Version

It was again translated into English version by Tagore. The full version of National Anthem is sung using the orchestral/choral adaptation (made by English composer, Herbert Murrill on request of Nehru). Another song (Amar Sonar Bangla) written by Tagore has been selected as the national anthem of Bangladesh.

History of Indian National Anthem

National anthem (Jana-gana-mana) was originally composed by Rabindranath Tagore in Bengali. The Hindi version of the national anthem was adopted in 1950 on 24 th  of January by the Constituent Assembly. The lyrics and music of the national anthem was given by Rabindranath Tagore in 1911. It was first sung in Calcutta in the meeting of Indian National Congress on 27 th  of December in 1911.

Full version of national anthem was translated to English from Bengali and music was set in Madanapalle (a city in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh state).

Importance of National Anthem

National Anthem of a country is the pride of nation and induces a sense of patriotism, courage and nationalism amongst its citizens. It is a way to show respect towards the country and spread the message of unity and harmony. It is also a symbol of freedom, sovereignty and the rich cultural history of the nation. National Anthem in schools helps to nurture the children with the positive vibes of patriotism since childhood and inculcate the feeling of respect and pride towards their country.

Singing of National Anthem is also a way to pay tribute to our great freedom fighters who fought for the country, and it also binds the whole nation with a single thread of unity and nationalism. The National Anthem of India is the praise of our motherland which helps us to feel proud and hopeful about our country. It showcases a distinct identity of our country’s history, culture, tradition, its people and regions.

Lyrics of National Anthem of India

The text of the national anthem written in Bengali is highly sanskritised language (also called as Sadhu Bhasa). It is written completely using nouns which are also used as verbs. The translated version is easily understandable by everyone; however its pronunciation varies in various regions and sung on various national occasions in India. The words and music to the national anthem was given by Late Rabindranath Tagore. Full version of National Anthem consists of five stanzas and takes 52 seconds to sing.

Full Version National Anthem of India

“Janaganamana-adhinayaka jaya he bharatabhagyabidhata!

Panjaba sindhu gujarata maratha drabira utkala banga

bindhya himachala yamuna ganga ucchalajaladhitaraṅga

taba subha name jage, taba subha asisa mage,

gahe taba jayagatha.

Janaganamangaladayaka jaya he bharatabhagyabidhata!

Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he, jaya jaya jaya jaya he…”

Short Version National Anthem of India

Short version of the national anthem consists of only first and last lines. It takes approximately 20 seconds to sing. It is sung on various national occasions.

“Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka jaya he

Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.

Jaya he, Jaya he, Jaya he,

jaya jaya jaya, jaya he.”

Meaning of National Anthem of India

The original version of the national anthem was translated to the English language and edited in 1950 to make some changes. ‘Sindh’ was replaced by ‘Sindhu’ as ‘Sindh’ was allocated to Pakistan after partition. The English meaning of the national anthem is as follows:

“Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,

Dispenser of India’s destiny.

Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindhu,

Gujarat and Maratha,

Of the Dravida and Odisha and Bengal;

It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,

mingles in the music of Yamuna and Ganges and is

chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.

They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.

The saving of all people waits in thy hand,

Thou dispenser of India’s destiny.

Victory, victory, victory to thee.”

What is Code of Conduct of National Anthem

The code of conduct is the set of rules and regulations which should be followed while singing or playing the national anthem. There are some instructions which are issued from time to time by the government of India regarding the correct version of the anthem. The set timing of the national anthem to be sung is 52 seconds. Some of the rules and regulations have been made in order to pay respect and honour to the national anthem.

A law (The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971) has been implemented by the Indian government to prevent the intentional singing of National Anthem or insulting in any way shall be punished with the imprisonment of term (may be extended to three years) including fine. Following are the rules and regulations which shall be followed while playing or singing full version of the anthem:

• It can be sung when National Salute, parade etc is performed at some ceremonial occasions and formal State functions (organized by the government or public) in the presence of President, Governor, Lieutenant Governor etc.
• It can be sung before and after President’s addresses to the Nation and arrival of Governor or Lieutenant Governor.
• When presentation of regimental colours and hoisting of colors in Navy takes place.
• When special orders are issued by Indian Government on any occasion. Generally it is not played for Prime Minister however at some special occasions it may be played.
• When it is played by band, it should be preceded by roll of drums or when played to perform National Salute by a guard the drum roll duration must be 7 paces in slow march. First drum roll should be started slowly and go as loud as possible and again decrease to normal.
• When  National Flag hoisting takes place on any cultural occasions.
• It can be sung in the schools in the morning before starting the day’s work by the students but proper manners should be maintained by the school authorities.
• All the audience must stand up and give attention while national anthem is sung or played.

Why theatres stopped playing the National Anthem in 1975

Earlier to 1975, there was a custom to play the national anthem in the theatres after the film. However, it was later removed because of the disrespect of National Anthem by the people as they were not standing up and giving proper attention.

Again Supreme Court of India, on 30 th November 2016 made it mandatory to play National Anthem in movie theatres before the screening of movies to instill the sense of patriotism among people. However due to many controversies and violent incidents arising after the order, Supreme Court, on 09 th January 2018, reversed the order of making it mandatory to play National Anthem in movie theaters.

Related Information:

Independence Day

Republic Day

National Song of India

Related posts.

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Presidents of india.

National Symbols of India

National Flag of India

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Short Essay on 'National Anthem of India' (150 Words)

Post a Comment

Great Concept. Whenever the anthem is sung or played live, the audience should stand in attention position. It cannot be indiscriminately sung or played randomly. Hence sahara people are putting their best effort to make the work record. We should also participate to achieve the world record. Today we live amid a sea of corruptions but tomorrow, through creativity and struggle, win the fight to free all of our heart and minds. Let’s get creative. Let’s win. Bharat Bhawna Diwas

It sounds to be a concept revolving around national pride and patriotism. Let us support this great initiative to make it a success.

Thank you for this essay 🙏🙏🙏🙏

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10 Lines on National Anthem

National Anthem of India is sung by the people of India to evoke the history of India’s struggle for freedom. ‘Jan Gana Mana’ is the official national anthem recognized by the government of India which is played and sung on number of occasions including cultural and national events. National Anthem helps in preserving and reinforcing the strong traditional culture by spreading the message of tolerance to pluralism across the world. It also evokes the true sense of patriotism in the heart of the people making them remember the sacrifices of our great freedom fighters and leaders.

10 Lines on National Anthem in English

We are providing 10 lines, 5 lines, 20 lines, few lines and sentences on National Anthem in English for Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. After reading these lines you will be able to know everything about National Anthem. You can add these lines in your essays and paragraph writing in your exam as well as in the school competition.

1) “Jan Gan Man” is the National Anthem of India.

2) It was written in 1911 by Rabindra Nath Tagore.

3) It has a total of five paragraphs.

4) The original song was written in the Bengali language.

5) It was translated in Hindi by Captain Abid Ali.

6) It is sung everywhere in the nation in Hindi language.

7) We sing the national anthem in schools in morning prayers.

8) We should stand when the national anthem is sung.

9) It is sung when national flag is hoisted on national festivals.

10) It brings the feeling of patriotism and unity among us.

10 Lines and Sentences on National Anthem

1) Every nation has its own national anthem in the world.

2) The national anthem of any nation depicts its culture and history.

3) The national anthem of India is ‘Jan Gan Man’.

4) Our national anthem is a pride for every Indian.

5) It was created by noble laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore in 1911.

6) It was sung for the first time in Calcutta on 27 December 1911.

7) It was officially accepted as the national anthem of India on 24 January 1950.

8) It is always sung as a token of respect on different occasions.

9) The time taken in singing the complete national anthem is 52 seconds.

10) We must maintain silence and stand when the national anthem is sung.

5 Lines on National Anthem

1) Our National Anthem is ‘Jan Gan Man’.

2) It was written by Ravindra Nath Tagore.

3) It was originally written in Bengali.

4) It consists of 5 stanzas.

5) We sing this at every national event.

20 Lines on National Anthem

1) National Anthem of India is the patriotic musical composition which is ‘’Jana Gana Mana” composed by Rabindranath Tagore.

2) The national anthem of India was originally written in ‘sanskrit tatsama’ Bengali language.

3) “Jan Gana Mana” was officially adopted by Indian constituent assembly as national anthem on 24 th January, 1950.

4) The national anthem consists of five stanzas and the duration of playing its full version is 52 seconds.

5) The national anthem of India is sung on various occasions flag hoisting, school prayers, national festivals etc.

6) The national anthem is often sung across nation in national language which is ‘Hindi’.

7) The proper guidelines have been issued from the government and the Supreme Court of India which should be followed while singing the national anthem.

8) Every citizen of India should stand respectfully while the national anthem is being played or sung on any occasion.

9) The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 is the act enacted by the parliament of India to prevent the insult of national anthem.

10) Offence to the act by preventing the singing of the Jana Gana Mana is punishable and may lead to the imprisonment for a year and fine or both.

11) National Anthem of India represents the country’s unique identity to the world.

12) National Anthem acts as a symbol of unity among its citizens as it is sung by people of different communities with the same spirit of patriotism.

13) The five stanzas of ‘Jan Gana Mana’ show the country’s rich, diversified culture and colourful history.

14) The entire lyrics and music of anthem was composed by Rabindranath Tagore in 1911 and was first sung in Calcutta on 27 th December, 2011.

15) Citizens play or sing the national anthem on various occasions like during the prayer in schools, celebration of national events, sports meet etc.

16) ‘Jana Gana Mana’ strengthens the idea of unity in diversity as people from different communities sing the anthem together with full of passion towards nation.

17) In 2016, Supreme Court made the playing of national anthem mandatory in theatres before every movie in order to instil the patriotism among citizens.

18) On cultural occasions, national anthem is played after hoisting ceremony of national flag.

19) National anthem is played before and after the arrival of President or Governor from a formal ceremony.

20) National anthem is also played during the presentation of regimental colours of Indian army.

‘Jana Gana Mana’ appeals greatly to the people from various sections of society by evoking patriotic emotions and bringing a sense of pride and honor. Whenever the national anthem is played live we should stand attentively in honor to pay respect to the freedom fighters who have sacrificed their lives for the nation.

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National Song

Title: Vande Mataram

Written by: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

Featured in: Anadamath

Written on: November 7, 1875

Published on: 1882

Music by: Jadunath Bhattacharya

Language: Sanskrit

Translated to English by: Sri Aurobindo Ghosh

First publication of translated version on: November 20, 1909

First Performed on: 1896

First Performed by: Rabindranath Tagore

Adopted on: January 24, 1950

The first two verses of Vande Mataram penned by legendary Bengali writer and novelist, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was selected as the National Song of India on January 24, 1950. The song shares the same status as the National Anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ barring certain official dictates. At the time when India achieved independence it certainly was the more popular tune compared to ‘Jana Gana Mana’ which was adopted as the National Anthem by the Constituent Assembly later on. The phrase ‘Vande Mataram’ itself was the mantra of Indian revolutionaries and nationalist leaders during the country’s struggle for freedom. It enthused numerous young men and women who fell into the patriotic sentiments of the time, dedicating their spirits in service of their Motherland. Revolutionary turned spiritualist Aurobindo Ghosh termed it the ‘Anthem of Bengal’ and rendered the English translation titled ‘I bow to thee, Mother’.

Lyrics and Translation

The poem features in Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s patriotic novel ‘Anandamath’ which was published as a series in the Bengali periodical ‘Banga Darshan’ between 1880 and 1882. The language of the novel is formal Bengali, a dialect known as ‘Sadhu Bhasha’ or ‘Tatsama’, but the verses of Vande Mataram are written in Sanskrit. Only the first two of the six verses were adopted as the national song in 1950. The lyrics of the song in Sanskrit are as follows - 

Vande mataram

Sujalam suphalam malayajasitalam

Sasyashyamalam mataram

Shubhra jyotsna 

pulakita yaminim

Phulla kusumita 

Drumadalasobhinim

Sumadhura bhasinim

Sukhadam varadam

The power packed verses had profound effect on the psyche of contemporary nationalists who assimilated the patriotic vibes. One of these young revolutionaries, Aurobindo Ghosh, took upon himself the task of translating the poem in English with the aim to popularize it among international audience. The translation was titled ‘Mother, I bow to thee’ and appeared in the weekly periodical Karmayogin on November 20, 1909. Translation of the first two verses is as follows - 

“Mother, I bow to thee!

Rich with thy hurrying streams,

bright with orchard gleams,

Cool with thy winds of delight,

Dark fields waving Mother of might,

Mother free.

Glory of moonlight dreams,

Over thy branches and lordly streams,

Clad in thy blossoming trees,

Mother, giver of ease

Laughing low and sweet!

Mother I kiss thy feet,

Speaker sweet and low!

Mother, to thee I bow.”

Literary Value

Bankim Chandra wrote Vande Mataram before he wrote Anandamath. He was inspired by the rich natural beauty of rural Bengal and the song became an ode to Mother Bengal whom he visualized as the embodiment of supreme Goddess, Durga. Bankim Chandra later included the song in the novel Anandamath which was as a work of fiction but based on historical incident of Sanyasi Rebellion during 1763-1800. He described a group of monks who took on arms against the atrocious rule of the existing Muslim rulers and emerging British East India Company regime. The song features as sort of the manifesto of the Sanyansi group and eulogizes the land laden with rich, ripe crops and covered in lush green foliage, sundry of multicolor flowers and sparkling rivers adorning the terrain. The words of his verses are rich in adjectives that praise every aspect of the country and emphasizes on idolizing her as Goddess reincarnate. The verses impart a deep sense of patriotic love for the motherland in the hearts of readers despite the complexity of language and expression.

Role in Indian Nationalist Movement

The popularization of the song was heralded by poet eminent Rabindranath Tagore when he sang a self-composed tune of the song in 1896 during the session of Indian National Congress in Calcutta. Association with the Indian Nationalist movement started in 1906, in the wake of Partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon. The Bengal provincial conference of the Indian National Congress at Barisal on April 14, 1906 burned an effigy of Lorg Curzon in protest and the crowd repeatedly chanted Vande Mataram. It became the war-cry for Indian nationalists waging war against the British Raj to attain freedom for the Motherland when the authorities forcibly tried to suppress the utterance of the phrase in Barisal. The patriotic fervor the mantra generated was carried higher by Aurobindo Ghosh’s translation and the song “now leaped out of its comparative obscurity within the covers of a Bengali novel and in one sweep found itself on the lips of every Indian man, woman or child”, as observed by Sister Nivedita. Young revolutionaries, charged up with patriotic enthusiasm, carried out daring acts of terrorism and faced the gallows with cries of Vande Mataram on their lips. Such was the power of the phrase, the Indian National Congress made it mandatory to sing Vande Mataram in every session across the country after 1915.

Vande Mataram - Adoption as National Song

Vande Mataram soon became a song that made a permanent place in the hearts of every patriotic Indian further sanctified by the countless martyrs who were dedicated their life and soul at the altar of the Motherland in a quest to attain freedom. However, the rendition of the song faced strong objection from the Muslim faction leaders on the grounds of their religious tenets. The song clearly depicts the Motherland as a nurturing yet all-powerful Goddess which was deemed unsuitable by the secular congress leaders for universal application. They adopted the first two stanzas as the official version for their meetings and sessions. The musical tune of the song was based on Indian classical ragas and was found to be unfavorable by the orchestra to be composed into a marching song. 

Although an alternate tune was produced by patriot musicians, the song was not accepted by the Constituent Assembly to be designated as the national anthem. Finally, the Constituent Assembly came to a decision and on January 24, 1940 Vande Mataram was officially declared as the National song while Jana Gana Mana was designated as the National Anthem. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the President of the Constituent Assembly said, “The composition consisting of words and music known as Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem of India. The song Vande Mataram, which has played a historic part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honored equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it.”

Controversies

The tenets of Islam prohibit ‘Shirk’ or Polytheism. On this ground, the Muslim factions of the political parties opposed singing of Vande Mataram as the song depicts the Motherland as a Goddess and preaches worshipping her. The opposition had started as early as 1908 but got deluged in the ongoing wave of nationalism at the time. In 1923, the first public protest against performing the song was upheld by Maulana Muhammed Ali, who was presiding the Kakinada session of the Congress. To appease the Muslims within the party, Congress mandated singing of ‘Sare Jahan se Achha’ composed by Muhammad Iqbal. The Muslims demanded complete cessation of performance of Vande Mataram. In the wake of such religious controversies, the Congress leadership decided against endorsing the song as the National Anthem and proposed Jana Gana Mana for the same. This outlook has continued till present day with a number of Islamic organizations declaring fatwas against singing Vande Mataram. A similar opinion was expressed by Sikh communities in Punjab advising against playing the song in Khalsa Schools. The Christian religious leaders however opined in favor of the song recognizing the patriotic sentiments and deemed that they did not clash with their religious views.

Significance of the National Song

The significance of the song has succinctly put forward by Aurobindo Ghosh in his ‘Mahayogi’ by saying, “Vande Mataram was an expression of nationalism. It quickly spread throughout India and was on the lips of millions”. Cambridge scholars recognize the song as “the greatest and most enduring gift of the Swadeshi movement”.

In Popular Culture

The poem Vande Mataram has been set into more than one tune. Through the years there have been numerous versions recorded with the oldest one dating back to 1907. From Rabindranath Tagore to Ravi Shankar to A.R. Rahman, prominent musicians through the ages have belted out their version of the song. It has been used in a number of patriotic movies like Amar Asha and Ananda Math. Vande Mataram ranked as the second most popular song in the world through a poll conducted by BBC World Services n 2002.