Francis Scott Key (August 1, 1779 â January 11, 1843)[3] was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet from Frederick, Maryland. Key observed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814 while aboard a British ship during the War of 1812. He was inspired upon seeing the American flag still flying over the fort at dawn and wrote the poem “Defence of Fort M’Henry”; it was published within a week with the suggested tune of the popular song “To Anacreon in Heaven”. The song with Key’s lyrics became known as “The Star-Spangled Banner” and slowly gained in popularity as an unofficial anthem, finally achieving official status more than a century later under President Herbert Hoover as the national anthem. The national motto “In God We Trust” derives from a line in “The Star-Spangled Banner”. rochestermilitary.com