If there was ever a time of national crisis, a period during which the United States was perilously close to ceasing to exist, it had to be during the War of 1812. The U.S. was scoring victories against the British fleet while the latter was focusing on Napoleon in France; but that threat over, the British marched down from Canada and straight into Washington D.C., burning down the capital building during their brief occupation and taking a prominent American citizen with them as they left. It was on the way to negotiate with the British for the man’s release that Francis Scott-Key, that lawyer-turned-poet, created his famous song.

On this day, March 3, in 1931, Francis Scott-Key’s poem “The Star-Spangled Banner” became the national anthem for the United States. He was inspired by the battered American flag flying over Fort McHenry in the Chesapeake Bay, signifying victory after a British assault was beaten back and the fleets retreated.

The lyrics were all by Francis Scott-Key but the melody from “The Star-Spangled Banner” came from a rowdy British drinking song. In the 1820s, most popular songs reused popular melodies of the age — the tune to “The Star Spangled Banner” was used by something like 80 other ditties, and it was originated by a London gentlemen’s society, whose lyrics told of wine, women and song.