![]() ![]() In 1833, President Jackson rewarded Key with the office of District Attorney. ![]() Some even called him “the Blacks’ lawyer.”īy 1835, in the timeless ways of Washington, Key had parlayed his law practice into political connections with the network of editors, landowners, and slave masters around General Andrew Jackson. As a young lawyer, he had relished defending individual colored people in court. Key respected Snow, the restaurant’s mulatto proprietor, even if he did not always like his ostentatious style.Ībolitionist broadside calls for end of slavery in D.C. They were lawyers practicing in the courthouse up the street, western land speculators visiting the capital on business, and innumerable congressmen living in the boarding houses. Snow’s place offered a natural rendezvous for Key and his political associates. Snow’s restaurant at the corner of Sixth and Pennsylvania, which was known as “the Epicurean Eating House.” He was no Epicurean, renouncing luxury in all of its forms. The lives of these three men intersected on the streets of Washington, D.C.įrancis Scott Key was politically ambitious and religiously observant. The unluckiest of the three was John Arthur Bowen, a 19-year-old boy, a slave, whom Key charged with attempted murder in 1835. Long before the contemporary age of ego-driven chefs, Snow called himself the “National Restaurateur.” He had bought his way out of slavery and came to Washington to seek his fortune. The most enterprising of the three men was Beverly Randolph Snow, an Epicurean chef of mixed race heritage. When the three men’s paths crossed, Key was the district attorney of the city of Washington, a prestigious post. He was the scion of Maryland’s slave-holding aristocracy and is famous for having written “ The Star Spangled Banner.” The most famous of the three was Francis Scott Key. One hundred and eighty or so years ago, the paths of three men crossed in Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. The lyricist of U.S. patriotism was a defender of slavery, and an enemy of free speech. We also recommend reading about other athletes who have spoken out against injustice, including Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Toni Smith, Muhammad Ali, John Carlos, and Tommie Smith. For updated news about sports and politics, read Dave Zirin’s Edge of Sports columns. ![]() For additional reading, see “ Colin Kaepernick Is Righter Than You Know: The National Anthem Is a Celebration of Slavery” by Jon Schwarz and Howard Zinn’s essay, “ America’s Blinders.” In light of the response to San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick‘s refusal to stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner,” we share the essay below by Jefferson Morley about Francis Scott Key. in 1835, Key fought to make sure this was not the “land of the free.” Do your textbooks mention Key’s role in defending slavery and fighting the abolitionist movement? For example, during the Snow Riot in Washington, D.C. September 14 is recognized as the anniversary of the writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key in 1814. Francis Scott Key, songwriter of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” defended slavery and attacked the abolitionist movement. ![]()
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