F.S. Key and The Song That Built America

This film celebrates the 200th anniversary of Francis Scott Key's writing of America's national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Key, a constitutional lawyer, famously penned the lyrics following the 12-hour bombardment of Ft. McHenry in September 1814. Against a backdrop of history, and through the eyes of Key's loving wife Polly (played by Deborah Hazlett), F.S. Key and the the Song That Built America, airing Friday, July 3 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV, highlights Key’s personal life, legal career and artistic development. The documentary covers Key's major cases (including the Aaron Burr conspiracy), his vehement opposition to the War of 1812, his enlistment in the militia, his participation in the ill-fated defense of Washington, D.C., and his penchant for poetry and art.