Knee Deep in the Hooah!

Great blog entry I read at RN earlier.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The Star Spangled Banner Was Originally About Subduing Muslims In Battle

ibloga

Well, what do you know. The original Star Spangled Banner was about victory in the War against the Barbary Pirates (read Muslims).

From Her Royal Whyness:

Earlier today, I viewed a video lecture
(also forwarded link to you – subject: Arabs and Zionists’ tug-og-war over America since 1776 – Professor Michael Oren video)

given by historian and author Dr. Michael Oren, here .

Quote from the end of the lecture (he’s a real tease, that one) :

“Why the original lyrics of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ talked about Muslims bowing down to the victorious flag of the United States.”

Well, it turns out the Star Spangled Banner was originally written for Bainbridge and Stephen Decatur in 1805.

In it, the lyrics included phrases:

“turbaned heads bowed”
“for the brow of the brave”
“In vain frowned the desert,”
“To a far distant shore, to the battle’s wild roar, ”
“And pale beamed the crescent, its splendor obscured ”
“By the light of the star-spangled flag of our nation.”

The lyrics changed in the War of 1812.

Notes from Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East 1776 to the Present by Michael B. Oren

Chapter III – A Crucible of American Identity

William Bainbridge, who was the first American sailor to the Ottoman capital September 1800, sailed to Algiers on “George Washington.”
Hassan Dey made him transport goods to Turkey – a humiliating experience. He was treated well in Istanbul by Ottomans. Bainbridge was discouraged by the treatment of Americans and because Americans were still paying tributes to pirates. “I am sure they would not long be tributary to so pitifull a race of Infidels.”
Thomas Jefferson decided to order ships to fire on pirates. The war with Tripoli began on May 14, 1851. (Tripoli declared war.) This was the First Barbary War.
The Star Spangled Banner, which was originally written for Bainbridge and Stephen Decatur in 1805, said “turbaned heads bowed” to the “brow of the brave” and “the star-spangled flag of our nation.”

When America was involved in the War of 1812, no resources were available to fight the pirates. Finally, after the war, on May 15, 1815, Madison authorized conflict, and this began the Second Barbary War. They first engaged Algiers on the sea. Algiers lost and paid the US a large tribute. The US also received compensation from Tunis and Tripoli, which was a source of national pride for Americans.

http://ibloga.blogspot.com/2009/03/star-sp…originally.html