Francis Scott Key was Kind of a Jerk

Francis Scott Key was Kind of a Jerk

August 18, 2026 · 43 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the controversial character of Francis Scott Key, the author of the Star-Spangled Banner, revealing his less admirable traits.

Love it or hate it, every American recognizes the Star-Spangled Banner. The lyrics come from a poem written by a lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, based on his experience watching an attack of Baltimore's Fort McHenry. The story itself is pretty inspiring -- but as Ben, Noel and Max learn in today's episode... Francis Scott Key was actually kind of a jerk. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Hosts: Ben, Noel, Max

Topics covered

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Baltimore, Fort McHenry

More episodes of Ridiculous History

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Ridiculous History podcast page.