Star-Spangled Banner and the War of 1812 The original Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the song that would become our national anthem, is among the most treasured artifacts in the collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Quick Facts about the Star-Spangled Banner Flag Made in Baltimore, Maryland, in July-August 1813 by flagmaker Mary Pickersgill Commissioned by Major George Armistead, commander of Fo ...