The U.S. national anthem was written 75 years ago. It was written by a lawyer and poet named Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812. The war of 1812 was when Britain and France were fighting with each other in Europe. This was because, " Britain's navy repeatedly boarded U.S. ships and forced American sailors to fight on Britain's side," which americans didn't like. The fight made it hard for the U.S to remain neutral. Americans were angry with Britain and they declared war on Britain. "Scott Key was asked to persuade an officer to release a prisoner," according to the article. The British were going to attack Fort McHenry in Baltimore and the officers decide to take Scott until the battle was over. Once the battle was over Key
