So this article has recently been making the rounds on Facebook. It did bring up an interesting point about the War of 1812 I never knew about: Apparently, the Corps of Colonial Marines, a unit of freed slaves fighting for the British army, was indeed present at the Battle of Baltimore (if not specifically at the bombing of Fort McHenry, a naval action that was only part of the larger battle, as the article implies.)
Is there any evidence for the article's interpretation that the third verse's mention of "hireling and slave" was specifically meant by Key to refer to the Corps of Colonial Marines (say, in his other writings or letters)? Did he ever have a stated opinion regarding the Corps and/or rebellious slaves in particular? Does anyone know?
Thanks in advance.
Not to discourage potential forthcoming answers, but a very similar question was asked one day ago.
The song was written about the attack on Fort McHenry, not the land battle of which Key had little knowledge and which the British had won. It was instead a dig on the British for their use of mercenaries and generally not being "free", both of which were rooted more in wartime propaganda than in actual fact, their mercenaries still being mostly occupied in post-Napoleonic Europe. The British themselves didn't ban chattel slavery until 1833.