Who wrote the national anthem of the United States?

• A. James Madison
• B. Betsy Ross
• C. John Adams
• D. Francis Scott Key

Answer: (D)

Francis Scott Key wrote the words that became the national anthem. He penned the poem Defense of Fort McHenry after watching the American flag still fly over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. That poem was later put to music and became The Star-Spangled Banner, which was officially adopted as the national anthem in 1931. The other figures weren’t the authors of the anthem: James Madison and John Adams were presidents, and Betsy Ross is associated with the flag’s imagery, not the song’s lyrics.