The History of the Star Spangled Banner Explored in New Virtual Lecture

American Flag (photo: Canaiden)

NORWALK, CT – In honor of Veteran’s Day, the Norwalk Historical Society is hosting the virtual lecture, “The History of the Star Spangled Banenr” with guest presenter Ed Hynes on Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 6:30pm via Zoom. Tickets are $5 per household and can be purchased at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/history-of-the-star-spangled-banner-virtual-lecture-tickets-443742354327 or at www.norwalkhistoricalsociety.org.

Join the Norwalk Historical Society to hear about how during the War of 1812 Francis Scott Key and two other American civilians were forcibly detained on a British ship in Baltimore Harbor during the ferocious bombardment of Ft. McHenry. What circumstances conspired to have these captives use “the rocket’s red glare and the bombs bursting in air” to give them proof through the night that our flag was still there. The British stopped firing at around 3:00 AM and the Americans worried – had Ft. McHenry surrendered? Finally, as the sun started to rise, Key asks “Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”

Ed Hynes, CFA was born and raised in Wilton, CT. In 1977 Ed graduated from The George Washington University in Washington D.C. with a B.A. in Political Science. He subsequently spent most of his career in financial services. As an equity analyst, institutional salesperson and trader he worked with some of the premier investment banking firms in many of the world’s leading financial centers including New York, Tokyo, London, Chicago and San Francisco. In 2001 Ed became a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and is currently a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch in Westport, CT. Ed first became interested in the Revolutionary War as a child when he learned his neighbor’s house was partially burned by the British during the Danbury Raid in 1777. He and his late wife are fascinated by history and have visited many important battlefields both here and abroad.

The Norwalk Historical Society was incorporated in 1899 with the focus on “the research, preservation, and promotion of interest in the history of Norwalk.” Through our many educational exhibits, programs and lectures, we highlight Norwalk’s rich history and diversity in the region. The Norwalk Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Learn more at: www.norwalkhistoricalsociety.org or contact us at: info@norwalkhistoricalsociety.org.

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