Racist verse of the Star-Spangled Banner that is left out today

[Quixote1818]

Taken from the article linked to below:


No refuge could save the hireling & 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 & the home of the brave.


‘The Star-Spangled Banner’s’ racist lyrics reflect its slave owner author, Francis Scott Key

https://theundefeated.com/features/the-star-spangled-banners-racist-lyrics-reflect-its-slaveowner-author-francis-scott-key/

[Coleman]

1. Why is this racist?

Because it mentions no worker or slave were safe from the British bombardment. A bit of history, Maryland was a slave state and had the largest slave market at that time. So there were slaves near and in Ft. McHenry. And they were also killed or fleeing during the attack.

[Quixote1818]

2. Because it makes slavery out to be normal. nt

[HotTeaBag]

3. It was normal.

.

[Quixote1818]

4. And it was wrong then and wrong today. nt

[HotTeaBag]

5. Yep.

.

[stopdiggin]

10. that's pretty thin, man.

So any mention of slavery -- a lot of which was, and is, not practiced on other races (if we accept that there is such a thing) -- without an apologia attached -- is de facto racist?

The poster made a decent point. (IMO) Your response -- less so.

[Igel]

6. Actually, it's referring to the British.

They, under the king, were referred to as slaves. And they both hired mercenaries but also British subjects were also called "hirelings." "Hireling" is not a term of respect. And I have to wonder if the British didn't use indentured servants--commissioned officers were often excess gentlemen, but how'd they recruit the zhlobs that actually mopped the decks and de-wormed the hardtack?

Some have made an issue out of the British attempt to gain American blacks as fighters for their side, promising them freedom. But the "hirelings and slaves" rhetoric was used quite widely with respect to white Europeans both before the War of 1812 and even before the Revolutionary War, but especially in the run up to and execution of the War of 1812. Limiting the meaning to something more narrow when there's an easy explanation of long standing in order to make a 20th century point is special pleading. ("Cherry picking" as the basis of an argument.)

The "hireling and slave" rhetoric wasn't even exceptionally American. After parliament was set up in Britain, long before the first British colony on the continental North American land mass, the Europeans under their (more) despotic rulers were termed "hirelings and slaves." The British had reigned in their reining royalty and were both proud of it and insisted on trying to tell the (say) French of it.

People don't cite the *entire* verse, and strip out the undesirable context. That makes it easier for the nouns to somehow become decoupled from context, so whatever context the argument needs is provided before you even see the words you're expected to think critically about. You're given the assumptions as the basis of decoding the words in order to prove the assumption. (It's a common Twitter and Youtube trick.)

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore, That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion A home and a Country should leave us no more? Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution. 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.

The "hireling and slave" refer back to the "band".

[IndyOp]

7. Thank you - I appreciate the background. (nt)

[stopdiggin]

8. Thanks. That's a different twist.

Key was undeniably a wealthy slaveowner -- and supported the institution without compunction. But you're right that this bit of doggerel -- probably was aimed at the Brits.

[stillcool]

9. amazing what I learn around here...Thanks teach!