With the singing of the national anthem at the Super Bowl on Sunday—and, hopefully, many times at the Winter Olympics—it felt like the perfect time to release our new The Star-Spangled Banner postcard.
Fun Facts About Our National Anthem
- It began as a poem written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812 after he witnessed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry throughout the night and the American flag still flying at dawn.
- The tune came from a British social club song called “To Anacreon in Heaven,” a popular melody of the time.
- While we usually only sing the first verse, there are actually four original verses.
- It didn’t become the official U.S. national anthem until 1931—117 years after it was written. Before then, songs like “Hail, Columbia” and “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” filled that role at official ceremonies.
This new postcard joins our growing collection honoring the 250th anniversary of the United States.
I’ve heard from customers who feel there isn’t always much to celebrate these days. My hope with these postcards isn’t to gloss over our past, but to help all of us remember the ideals voiced in the Declaration of Independence: life, liberty, and the freedom of self-government. By marking this historic anniversary, we honor those principles and pass them forward to the next generation.
Ready to celebrate America’s 250th?
Click here to add these postcards to your next mailing.