who composed our national anthem

The national anthem of the United States, "The Star-Spangled Banner," was composed with music by British composer John Stafford Smith in the late 1770s. The lyrics were written by American lawyer and poet Francis Scott Key in 1814 after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. Key's poem, initially titled "Defence of Fort M'Henry," was set to Smith's music and became the anthem. It was officially adopted as the U.S. national anthem by Congress in 1931.