Charlotte E. Ray (January 13, 1850 – January 4, 1911)
As the first woman admitted to practice law in the District of
Columbia and the first African-American woman certified
as a lawyer in the United States, civil and women’s rights
activist and teacher Charlotte E. Ray truly earned her place
in history.
She made extraordinary contributions to the advancement
of women, she was a legal pioneer.
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United
States. The lyrics came from the "Defence of Fort M’Henry", a
poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and
amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment
of Fort McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in Outer
Baltimore Harbor in the Patapsco River during the Battle of
Baltimore in the War of 1812 (below). Key was inspired by the large
U.S. flag, with 15 stars and 15 stripes, known as the Star-Spangled
Banner, flying triumphantly above the fort during the U.S. victory.
The poem was set to the tune of a popular British song written by
John Stafford Smith.
Francis Scott Key (1779 – 1843)
Francis Scott Key was born at Terra Rubra, his
family’s estate in Frederick County (now Carroll
County), Maryland.
He became a successful lawyer in Maryland and
Washington, D.C., and was later appointed U.S.
attorney for the District of Columbia.
President Herbert Hoover signed a congressional act making “The
Star-Spangled Banner” the official national anthem of the United
States.
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964)
Francis Scott Key (August 1, 1779 – January 11, 1843)
