Reaction: What So Proudly We Hail

The documentary What So Proudly We Hail focuses on the irony behind the third verse of the Star Spangled Banner. Stemming from the survival of Fort McHenry from the British bombing in 1814, the poem celebrates the resilience of free Americans. However, the documentary points out that the song also condemns slaves for fighting for the British, and how this condemnation poses many ironis and questions for the place of blacks in this anthem. In 1775, when the British promised freedom to slaves to who ever joined the English army, it represented one of the first opportunities for blacks to take physical stems toward their own freedom. Again in 1814, when Alexander Cochrane promised freedom to American slaves who fought on British ships, blacks had the opportunity to be considered free on ships in their own homeland (1). Between these two events, thousands of slaves left their masters to fight in the British army or in other rebel groups. These cases of war provided blacks opportunities for freedom not previously presented by their American masters. With this in mind, some of the most troubling lines from the third verse of the national anthem are “No refuge could save the hireling and slave, From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave,” (2). Some of the most interesting student reactions to the contradictions presented in this slaves were the questions “what does freedom mean?” and “is the Star Spangled Banner appropriate for today?”

            One of my first intrigues to the third verse was to the irony behind the condemnation of the “betraying” slaves. As the words “hireling and slave” are directly used within the verse to contrast the words “free” and “brave,” it embodies the simplified narrative of the slaves fight for freedom. In Hope of Liberty, Horton shows how the slaves chose to fight for the British with few options. In addition to discussing the negotiations of freedom from the British, the chapter also points out the conflicts behind the negotiations of letting slaves fight for the American side. In a letter from Officer Laurens to Hamilton, Laurens details how his “reason” is fought with “prejudice and pusillanimity," (3). Although the slaves are insulted for “betraying” America, it is clear that in some cases politicians and slave owners were unwilling to give the same opportunities as the British. It is unfair to ignore the fact not just that slaves aspire to become apart of the “free” and “brave” but that Americans refused to let the slaves opportunities to claim this freedom. Another irony that is brought to mind with contradicting the language of “slave” and “brave” is the way slaves were forced to participate in war. In Hope of Liberty Horton describes how drafted masters could send slaves in their place. Although some slaves obtain their freedom, others are ultimately forced to fight to the death for the freedom of their own masters. To take away any notions of bravery slaves had to exhibit fighting for the British and the Americans is too large of a simplification of the black experience. Even though the earliest phrases heard in the national anthem promote a sense of pride in the American resilience and freedom, the ironies that lie behind the verses must be brought to attention throughout the debates that surround protests of the national anthem.

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1. "Black Soldier and Sailors in the War." PBS. Accessed October 05, 2017. http://www.pbs.org/wned/war-of-1812/essays/black-soldier-and-sailors-war/.

2. Benson, Simone. "Morgan State student documentary asks hard questions about 'The Star-Spangled Banner'." The Undefeated. October 04, 2017. Accessed October 05, 2017. https://theundefeated.com/features/morgan-state-student-documentary-star-spangled-banner/amp/.

3. Horton, James Oliver., and Lois E. Horton. In hope of liberty: culture, community, and protest among northern free Blacks, 1700-1860. New York: ACLS History E-Book Project, 2005.