Francis Scott Key, American Lawyer and Poet
Francis Scott Key (August 1, 1779 - January 11, 1843) was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner". More than a century after its first publication, the song was adopted as the American national anthem, first by an Executive Order from President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 and then by a Congressional resolution in 1931, signed by President Herbert Hoover. Throughout his career Key represented slaves seeking their freedom in court (for free), as well as several masters seeking return of their runaway human property. He publicly criticized slavery's cruelties, but used his position as Attorney to suppress abolitionists. He resigned as district attorney in 1840. He remained a staunch proponent of African colonization and a strong critic of the antislavery movement until his death in 1843 at the age of 63.
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