The Washington Post wasted no time after the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in reminding readers that the man it was named after was a problematic figure.
Early Tuesday morning, a massive container ship crashed into the bridge, knocking it down, and leaving at least six construction workers presumed dead.
In a Wednesday article titled “Who was Francis Scott Key, controversial poet the bridge is named after?” the paper reminded readers about Key’s “racist views.”
Francis Scott Key is best known for writing the poem that became America’s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” He wrote the lyrics the morning after an 1814 British attack on Fort McHenry, which is right by the collapsed bridge.
“As The Washington Post previously reported, ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ did not become the national anthem until more than a century after it was written…
