The flag has had a colorful history, from its origins in a government contract through its sojourn with several generations of a Baltimore family to its eventual donation to the Smithsonian Institution.
During the British bombardment of Fort Mc Henry during the War of 1812,a young Baltimore lawyer named Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the words to"The Star-Spangled Banner." Although it became popular immediately, it was not until 1931 that Congress Officially declared "The Star-Spangled Banner" as our national anthem.