"When Francis Scott Key saw the United States flag still flying over Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland - signifying that the city had withstood the overnight British bombardment - he immediately sat down and wrote the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner." Since that September morning in 1814, the flag and the national anthem have occupied a special place in the hearts of Americans. The flag that withstood the "bombs bursting in air" and inspired the anthem has been cared for by the Smithsonian and exhibited to the public for almost a century. Here is the dramatic story." --Back cover.