Francis Scott Key - Our Lost Founding Archives

Defence of Our National Anthem

On this day in 1814, United States soldiers raised this 30′ x 42′ foot garrison flag over Fort McHenry in Baltimore to celebrate a critical victory over the British during the War of 1812:

Seeing those “broad stripes and bright stars” inspired Francis Scott Key to write a poem entitled “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” It soon became the song we know as “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and eventually, Our national anthem.

In turn, that flag, and the following words from the fourth stanza of Key’s poem inspired Our Lost Founding to create this t-shirt design:

“Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto – “In God is our trust,”

September 14, 2021/1 Comment/by Our Lost Founding

Presidents, The Common Thread of Our Lost Founding, War of 1812

In God We Trust: Our Official National Motto

On this day in 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the law establishing In God We Trust as the official motto of the United States. The motto had been in use, unofficially, since 1864.

First, however, in 1863, Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase wrote this to the Mint Director:
“I approve your mottoes, only suggesting that on that with the Washington obverse the motto should begin with the word OUR, so as to read OUR GOD AND OUR COUNTRY. And on that with the shield, it should be changed so as to read: IN GOD IS OUR TRUST.”

Then, he lined through “IS OUR” and wrote “WE” above it.

It was on Flag Day in 1954 when Eisenhower signed the bill to include “under God” in the pledge he said:

“In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war.”

His sentiments in the above statement helps us understand his resolve to establish Our National Motto.

Despite the assertion of some that “E Pluribus Unum” is Our motto, today is the 65th anniversary of “In God We Trust” as Our Official Motto, and it’s worth celebrating.

In fact, a couplet from the final stanza of Our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” containing a variation of the motto, inspired Our “Star-Spangled Motto” t-shirt design:

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto – “In God is our trust,”

Find yours HERE.

July 30, 2021/1 Comment/by Our Lost Founding

F. Scott Key Star Spangled Motto Our Cause it is Just War of 1812

American Revolution, The Common Thread of Our Lost Founding, Thomas Jefferson

What do Our Creator and Our cause have in common?

On this day in 1775, the American Revolution begins.

Incredibly, also on this day in 1861, the first blood of the American Civil War is shed.

Our Cause

Instructive for both is Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration on Taking Up Arms, written in July 1775:

“Our cause is just. Our union is perfect. Our internal Resources are great, and, if necessary, foreign Assistance is undoubtedly attainable. We gratefully acknowledge, as signal Instances of the Divine Favour towards us, that his Providence would not permit us to be called into this severe Controversy, until we were grown up to our present strength, had been previously exercised in warlike Operation, and possessed of the means of defending ourselves. With hearts fortified with these animating Reflections, we most solemnly, before God and the World, declare, that, exerting the utmost Energy of those Powers, which our beneficent Creator hath graciously bestowed upon us, the Arms we have been compelled by our Enemies to assume, we will, in defiance of every Hazard, with unabating Firmness and Perseverence, employ for the preservation of our Liberties; being with one Mind resolved to die Freemen rather than to live Slaves.”

We find similar sentiment in the fourth verse of the “Star-Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key. In fact, it gives way to an early iteration of Our National Motto, and inspired Our shirt design, below:

“Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto – “In God is our trust,” ”

Find your Men’s Star-Spangled Motto t-shirt HERE, or Women’s HERE.

April 19, 2021/0 Comments/by Our Lost Founding

American Icons, In God We Trust, National Anthem, The Common Thread of Our Lost Founding, War of 1812

From “Defence of Fort M’Henry” to Our National Anthem

On this day in 1931, President Herbert Hoover signs a congressional act making “The Star-Spangled Banner” the official national anthem of the United States.

On September 14, 1814, during the War of 1812, American attorney Francis Scott Key was detained aboard a British ship in Baltimore Harbor where he witnessed the massive overnight British bombardment of Fort McHenry. Seeing the American flag still flying in the morning inspired him to write his poem, the “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” A few months later, the poem was set to music of “To Anacreon in Heaven” and renamed “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

In God We Trust

As we (should) know, our National Motto is “In God We Trust,” and has been for over 60 years.
In fact, we find an early iteration of it in the fourth verse of “The Star-Spangled Banner”:

“Blest with vict’ry and peace may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the power that hath made and preserv’d us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto – “In God is our trust,”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

It is that key couplet that inspired Our Star-Spangled Motto shirt, available HERE.

My visit to Fort McHenry in April 2014 was one “key” experience that led me to start Our Lost Founding.

March 3, 2021/0 Comments/by Our Lost Founding

American Icons, The Common Thread of Our Lost Founding, War of 1812

Francis Scott Key: “dawn’s early light” and “light of hope”

On this day in 1779, Francis Scott Key is born in Maryland. He was an attorney, author, and amateur poet. Of course, we know his name primarily because he penned the poem which later became the lyrics for our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”.

He also penned the following praiseful poem in 1832:

Lord, With Glowing Heart I’d Praise Thee

Lord, with glowing heart I’d praise thee
For the bliss Thy love bestows,
For the pardoning grace that saves me,
And the peace that from it flows.
Help, O God, my weak endeavor;
This dull soul to rapture raise;
Thou must light the flame, or never
Can my love be warmed to praise.

Praise, my soul, the God that sought thee,
Wretched wanderer, far astray;
Found thee lost, and kindly brought thee
From the paths of death away;
Praise, with love’s devoutest feeling,
Him who saw they guilt-born fear,
And, the light of hope revealing,
Bade the blood-stained cross appear.

Lord, this bosom’s ardent feeling
Vainly would my lips express;
Low before Thy footstool kneeling,
Deign Thy supplicant’s prayer to bless;
Let Thy grace, my soul’s chief treasure,
Love’s pure flame within me raise;
And, since words can never measure,
Let my life show forth Thy praise.

Key was a Sunday school teacher at his church and also served as vice president of the American Sunday School Union. In addition, was an early supporter of the American Bible Society.

Morning and evening

Finally, what follows are a few excerpts from a letter he wrote to his children in 1812, shortly after making his will, to be read after his death:

“You have read your Bible: how God made us, what he requires of us, how Chirst died for us, how we must pray and strive to do everything right and to shun everything wrong.
…
Read your Bibles every morning and evening. Never forget your private prayers, both morning and evening, and throughout the day strive to think of God often and breathe a sincere supplication to Him for all things. … Do all possible good too all… everybody within your reach. … [D]o everything for God’s sake and consider yourselves always in his service.
Remember that you do not belong to yourselves. Christ has bought you, and his precious blood was your price.”

Francis Scott Key died in 1843.

August 1, 2020/0 Comments/by Our Lost Founding

Presidents, The Common Thread of Our Lost Founding, War of 1812

The War of 1812 : “A Just Cause” it is

On this day in 1812, the aptly-named War of 1812 begins when President James Madison requests a declaration of war. In his Special Message to Congress he pointed to “a series of acts hostile to the United States as an independent and neutral nation” by Great Britain.

Given the “crying enormity” of these acts and the “solemn alternative,” Madison made clear the source of his trust:
“Whether the United States shall continue passive under these progressive usurpations and these accumulating wrongs, or, opposing force to force in defense of their national rights, shall commit a just cause into the hands of the Almighty Disposer of Events…” (emphasis added)

Our cause

Then, on September 13, 1814, toward the end of this war, the sight of our “broad stripes and bright stars” “by the dawn’s early light,” despite the blistering British Bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore harbor, inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the poem the “Star-Spangled Banner.”
The first verse of his poem became Our national anthem in 1931.

That same flag, and a key couplet from the fourth verse (did you know there was a fourth verse?) of Key’s poem inspired the design for Our “Star Spangled Motto” t-shirt:

“Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’ “

Today, our National Motto is, of course, “In God We Trust.”

Find your shirt in time for the Fourth of July, HERE!

June 18, 2020/0 Comments/by Our Lost Founding

In God We Trust, National Anthem, The Common Thread of Our Lost Founding, War of 1812

Did You Know? From one F. Scott to another

On this day in 1920, This Side of Paradise by famous St. Paul, Minnesota native F. Scott Fitzgerald, is published. It was the first novel by the author of the more well-known title The Great Gatsby.

In fact, Fitzgerald was named after his second cousin, three times removed on his father’s side. That F. Scott is also famous for something he wrote.

That side of paradise…

Of course, that first F. Scott was none other than Francis Scott Key, who penned The Star-Spangled Banner, of which the first verse is our national anthem.

Fitzgerald’s final resting place is in Maryland, about thirty miles from Key, and about forty miles from Fort McHenry, where Key saw our flag “by the dawn’s early light.”

Finally, see our Men’s and Women’s Star-Spangled Motto “In God is Our Trust” shirts, inspired by the first F. Scott, are here in Our Shop.

March 26, 2019/0 Comments/by Our Lost Founding

The Common Thread of Our Lost Founding

Star-Spangled Medals; Star-Spangled Motto

Star-Spangled Medals

The best part of the Olympics? For Our Lost Founding, it was hearing our national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, forty-six times. That’s nineteen more times than we heard the anthem of the country with the second most gold medals.

Star-Spangled Motto

Winning gold is a lofty goal, and we still have the lofty goal of 60 pre-orders for our “Star-Spangled Motto” t-shirt by September 14th. That’s the day in 1814 that Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner.

The medalists win their medal, along with endorsement and other opportunities. When you pre-order a shirt, you have a chance to win from a whole host of prizes! Learn more about the prizes in Our previous post:

Star-Spangled Motto: Pre-orders and Prizes!

At sporting events like the Olympics, of course we only hear the first verse. However, when we get to the fourth verse, we find an early iteration of Our National Motto: “In God We Trust.” This couplet inspired Our latest shirt design, seen below the medal count:

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto – “In God is our trust,”

August 22, 2016/0 Comments/by Our Lost Founding

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