Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key
Reading Comprehension for March 3
What kind of a man do you think would write a patriotic song? Would he be a soldier? Maybe he would be a politician or a statesman? The man who wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner" was none of these. Francis Scott Key was a deeply religious man with a deep love for his country.
Key was born on a plantation in Maryland on August 1, 1779. His parents were wealthy, and at the age of ten he was sent to school in Annapolis. Upon graduation at the age of 17, he began to study law while working for his uncle's law practice. By the time he was 26, he had a well-established law firm of his own in Georgetown, near Washington, D.C. Before he was thirty-five, he had appeared before the Supreme Court several times. Key was even appointed the U.S. District Attorney.
As a man of deep faith, Key considered giving up his law practice to be a minister but chose to stay in his profession. His faith also made him oppose the war. In spite of that, he tried to serve his country as well as he could in the Georgetown Light Field Artillery.
