History of the Star Spangled Banner from 1814 to the present
Svejda GJ. 1969. History of the Star Spangled Banner from 1814 to the present. Division of History, National Park Service
This document is a study of the writing and subsequent history of America’s national anthem. It also includes details on the anthem’s first publication as a poem, its later adaptation to music, the background of the music, when it was first sung, the development of its popularity after 1815, its various musical arrangements, and the efforts to adopt it as America’s national anthem, as well as the inspirational meaning which it has held for successive generations of Americans and newcomers to these shores.