The War of 1812: Manuscripts from Special Collections

The year 2012 marks the 200^th year anniversary of the start of the War of 1812.  That particular war between the United States and Great Britain is one of America’s least known wars.  While some historians have called it the second war for independence, others have characterized it as an obscure conflict.  The items in this exhibition are drawn primarily from manuscripts collections in the Georgetown University Library Special Collections Research Center.  Together, they document fascinating aspects of the War of 1812.

One of the items in the exhibit, shown here, is a “Star Spangled Banner” Manuscript.
Autograph Manuscript Signed by Francis Scott Key, the “Star Spangled Banner,” dated Washington, D.C., August 29, 1842.  Key wrote this copy of the “Star Spangled Banner” one year before his death.  He wrote it to a Mr. Espy.  Very few manuscript copies of the national anthem have survived.  Key wrote this copy long after he wrote the original song on September 14, 1814.  Gift of the recipient's daughter, Elizabeth McCalmont Espy (Mrs. J. A. Nunn), 1898.