Francis Scott Key, White Supremacist and Slave Owner
Francis Scott Key, who wrote the Star-Spangled Banner, was a racist, a slave owner, and made very ugly comments about Black people. No wonder that screwball Governor of Florida does not want Black Studies classes being taught—his white supremacist heroes would be exposed. When Francis Scott Key wrote his poem, turned into America’s National Anthem, he was very angry upon learning that Black Troops were fighting with the British against American slavery. Key profited from slavery, and was a white supremacist. Scott said that Blacks were, “A distinct and inferior race of people, which all experience proves to be the greatest evil that afflicts a community.”
During the 1800s, escaped Black slaves formed a military unit called Britain’s Royal Colonial Marines. These Black marines were part of the British Navy and were first organized in 1808. During the War of 1812, British Admiral Alexander Cochrane formed the units of Black Colonial Marines. Although they were originally of direct African descent many were escaped slaves that ran away from George Washington’s plantation and Thomas Jefferson’s farm as well. Unlike Blacks that fought for George Washington these troops received the same training and benefits as their white Royal Marine counterparts.
What many don’t know, and what some racist historians refuse to tell us, is that several key incidents started or precipitated the American Revolution against England and it was not just the Boston Massacre or taxes, but England taking steps to eliminate slavery at that time. In 1772, a slave owner named Charles Stuart sought to remove a slave from Virginia to England named James Somerset. This became the Somerset Case. An English abolitionist sued for his freedom arguing that slaves became free when brought to England. The Chief Justice, Lord Mansfield, ruled that slavery had no basis under natural law or English law. Somerset was set free, and back in America the American slave owners went ballistic. Even though many white Americans thought themselves champions of freedom they were angered against the British ruling of freedom for a black man.
About the same time as the Somerset Case an event would take place that would drive the Americans even more angry. A British ship, the Gaspee, was burned and the captain killed. The only witness against the Americans was a Black man who would testify against whites. Hatred was generated by Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry against him. This incident, of a Black man testifying against whites, led to the formation of the Continental Congress and the Committees of Correspondence. At the time, it was greater than the Boston Tea Party in popularity. This led straight to the 1776 Revolution, and later to fastening slavery upon all of America.
Lord Dunmore called for Blacks to escape slavery and join the British with a promise of freedom. He offered freedom to slaves if they would help fight the Americans. Thousands of Black men joined the British and were organized into the “Ethiopian Regiment.” To discourage Blacks, slave owners cut off their heads and stuck them on polls and lined the streets with corpses. Francis Scott Key hated Blacks so much he wrote the poem, which in the third verse, which is no longer sung, said: “No refuge could save the hireling and slave, From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave, And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave, O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” In other words, we will chase Black runaways, kill them, and be proud of it.
