Samuel Smith’s Patriotic Song

Mr. Allan writes each month for the magazine Partners, and his work has appeared in nu­merous other American periodicals.

Samuel Francis Smith was born in Boston shortly after the turn of the nineteenth century. The Smith home was near that city’s famous old Christ Church, and the chiming of the steeple bell seemed to beckon young Samuel to seek his calling in the ministry. From Harvard University, where he graduated in 1829, he went on to Andover Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, and ordination in 1834.

One evening in February 1832, after he had finished his studies for the day, Samuel was browsing in the library of the home he maintained near the Seminary. He chose a couple of German lan­guage books of children’s songs from one of the bookcases, settled before his desk, and slowly turned the pages. One song caught his at­tention, a patriotic tune for chil­dren, and the thought came to him that American children also need­ed a song that would tell of the beauty and goodness of America.

He drew a piece of writing paper from a desk drawer and to the music of an old folk tune be­gan to set down the words of a poem going through his brain:

My country ’tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,

Of thee I sing;

Land where my fathers died,

Land of the pilgrims’ pride,

From ev’ry mountain side,

Let freedom ring.

It took him just half an hour to write four complete verses of his patriotic song, concluding with the stirring:

Our fathers’ God, to Thee,

Author of liberty,

To Thee we sing;

Long may our land be bright,

With freedom’s holy light;

Protect us by Thy might,

Great God, our King.

 
The next morning he mailed his verses to his dear friend, Lowell Mason, a famous composer, or­ganist, and choir leader of the day.

Lowell Mason was greatly im­pressed. He felt that the song beautifully expressed love of God and country and vowed that he would bring the verses to the at­tention of all the world.

That Fourth of July 1832, there were special patriotic ceremonies at the historic Park Street Church in Boston. Lowell Mason arranged to have his friend’s song per­formed by the children’s chorus at these ceremonies. The young voices rose on the wings of Samuel Smith’s glowing song, sending a stir of inspiration throughout the entire gathering. This was the first public performance of Amer­ica. Soon the song was known all over the world and it has become one of our favorite patriotic tunes.

In 1889, our nation celebrated The George Washington Centen­nial, and Samuel Smith composed a new fifth verse to America as his special tribute to “The Father of Our Country.” These are the words as Samuel Smith himself read them before a hushed and attentive audience that April day in 1889:

Our joyful hosts today,

Their grateful tribute pay,

Happy and free.

After our toils and fears,

After our blood and tears,

Strong with our hundred years,

0 Lord to Thee.