The tune of The Star-Spangled Banner is taken from the British drinking song “To Anacreon in Heaven” that was first published by The Vocal Magazine (London) in 1778.

The lyrics were taken from Francis Scott Key’s poem “Defence of Fort M'Henry” that was written after being detained by British soldiers and later witnessing their attack on Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.

Key’s handwritten final draft is kept at the Maryland Historical Society.

Although the original draft is lost, it is often assumed that Key wrote the lyrics on the back of an envelope. This is most likely false since envelopes were not commonly used until 1840; letters were instead written on a sheet of paper to be folded and sealed with wax. Postage at the time was based on amount of sheets used, thus making envelopes wasteful and unnecessary. Being detained on his own ship, it’s quite fair to assume Key had ample resources to avoid using scrap paper of any sort.

Walter “Walt” Whitman was an American poet, essayist, and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse. His work was very controversial in its time, particularly his poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which was described as obscene for its overt sexuality.