Genealogy Chat

Francis Scott Key, author of "The Star Spangled Banner" was involved in negotiating a prisoner exchange with the British on board HMS Tonnant. The negotiations were successful but the British held Key on board because he had heard about the proposed British attack - he was released when it was over.

Thus Key witness the defense of the fort from a British ship-of-the-line.

The words were fitted to an existing tune written by a Brit (lol) Mr Smith.

The flag still exists and can be seen in Washington.

If you disapprove of me shifting an event around a few years for dramatic effect then it is in the grand tradition of American drama from Margaret Mitchell to Spielburg.

The Americans simply do not like the truth about what they call the War of Independence. It was a civil war and only "won" because the stronger side saw the wrong it for once. That they still prefer bluster and legend over reality can be seen in any presidential election and of course the new movie "Lincoln".

The Star Spangled Banner was of course written after the British sacking of Washington in 1814.
It referred to the survival of Ft McHenry during an overnight bombardment.
The fort was in American hands at the twilight's last gleaming, and was still in American hands, flying the star pangled banner at the dawn's early light. The British planned to sack Baltimore, but American militia were well dug in 2 miles out of town, with sufficient troops to prevent outflanking. With Ft McHenry guarding the mouth of Baltimore harbour, it was too risky for the fleet to go in and bombard the harbour, or transport all the planned sacked goodies out, so the attack on Baltimore was called off.

Most writers would say you were out of time by 30 years, but don't explain their reasoning.

The Star Spangled Banner was of course written during the British sacking of Washington in 1815. At least half of it was written on board a British man of war.

So I deliberately took something out of time but not context by 20 years for dramatic effect ;-) Yesterday BBC4 "Dancing on The Edge" had a 1938 railway station scene with a 1949 steam engine gleaming in Midland Red ( at Folkestone ?) complete with BR lion. Dramatic license I think they call it.

I took the idea of the anthem as a short hand for the fact that Americans prefer to believe in jingoism and that their brave raggle taggle army defeated Cornwallis in the field.

Nothing of the sort happened. Simply put the English parliament flatly refused to finance the campaign against many of their blood relatives. American trade was already important and the disruption unwanted as well.

Without the Hanoverian war in America the British Isles today would most likely be 4 states in a country with its capital in New York. There was no great love of the crown in the UK 1775-1845.

Even now the cultural and political ties between the UK and the USA are a great deal stronger than those with Brussels.

So it goes.

Rollo - re "the dawns early light".
Don't you mean "remember the Maine". I know it's easy to confuse them as neither has anything to do with the American Revolution or the Civil War.

Yes, I know I just didn't want to get into all that it is a long and tangled tale. Some of my own line were among them.

"Better to live under one tyrant a thousand miles away, than a thousand tyrants one mile away."

Nothing changes.

Rollo, your comment that "The North Americans who preferred to live under the crown moved to Canada." is a little simplistic.

Those who remained loyal to their king were persecuted, lost their homes and all belongings and had to flee to Canada where they were housed in refugee camps before being granted land in Canada. They then had to start again from scratch, clearing land, building log homes etc. They endured famine, crop failures and harsh Canadian winters.

My husband and children are proud descendants of these United Empire Loyalists.

more compilations of soldiers who served ......


http://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22United+States.+Continental+Army%22


Compiled service records of confederate soldiers......

http://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22United%20States.%20National%20Archives%20and%20Records%20Service%22

Oh whoops....was very tired at the time....slapped wrists :-D

They were both civil wars.

The North Americans who preferred to live under the crown moved to Canada.

The Indians fought on both sides.

The War of Independence very nearly started a second civil war in the UK as well - the use of Hanoverian (German) troops by George III against English settlers was extremely unpopular. In the end Parliament would not fund the campaign but battles and the dawns early light sound a better reason for Hanoverian defeat.

Uh oh! Somebody doesn't know the difference between the American Revolution and the Civil War!

Again, I have a sub to fold3, American war records, if anyone needs a look up, message me...

Lesley

War of Independence aka American Revolution as entries on the film dated from 1776

No wonder my Banners didn't show up!. They were in the Civil War 1861 to 1865 ;-)

Never-the-less, a valuable resource for early US records. Thank you :-D

It is all about the northerners.
Deo vindice.
Look away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQmO-WfEkk4

O, I wish I was in the land of cotton
Old times there are not forgotten
Look away! Look away!
Look away! Dixie Land.

In Dixie Land where I was born in
Early on one frosty mornin'
Look away! Look away!
Look away! Dixie Land.

O, I wish I was in Dixie!
Hooray! Hooray!
In Dixie Land I'll take my stand
To live and die in Dixie
Away, away,
Away down south in Dixie!

Who fought in the civil war.

edit....The American revolution

Actual hand written copies of service records

http://archive.org/details/compiledservicer0790unit