The arrival of 2014 brings the bicentennial of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The words were written by Francis Scott Key in September 1814. As the specific date draws nearer, more and more attention will be focused on the song. It took a long time to officially designate it as the official National Anthem. That didn’t happen… continue
Perhaps the most famous march composed by John Philip Sousa, the celebrated March King, is “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” a tribute to the American flag. One of the least-known aspects of the tune is that it originated on Christmas Day in a mysterious fashion. Sousa’s childhood during the Civil War was marked by marches… continue
By James Breig In 1863, 150 years ago, the midpoint of the Civil War brought the Battle of Gettysburg, the Gettysburg Address – and a Thanksgiving proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln. Although written by his Secretary of State, the document went out as “by the President of the United States of America,” who invited “my fellow… continue
By James Breig Seven score and ten years have rolled by since Nov. 19, 1863, when the most famous speech in American history was delivered by President Abraham Lincoln in Gettysburg, Pa. Pressed in by a crowd eager to hear his remarks and surrounded by flapping flags, the Great Emancipator intoned the immortal words: “Four score… continue
By James Breig On Nov. 11, 1918, the citizens of Anaconda, Montana, held an impromptu parade. Among the prominent participants was William Tell Moore, a black constable. Carrying a large American flag, he led a delegation of black citizens “in a manner that personified dignity and patriotism,” said a newspaper. The occasion was the first Armistice Day,… continue