Star Spangled Banner | History Detectives

Publish date: 2024-08-14

The Case:

A Eugene, Oregon woman was helping her father pack up his house when she found a yellowed document tucked away inside his desk. It had been there for nearly sixty years. She soon discovered it was a handwritten manuscript for the The Star Spangled Banner. 

Her father got the manuscript in 1935 as a gift from his mentor, Arnold J. Gantvoort.  Ganvoort was part of a committee to create an official, standardized version of the national anthem. Appraisers at Antiques Roadshow valued the music at $10-$15,000. History Detectives host, Elyse Luray sets out to determine what role this document played in the creation of our national anthem.

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