The Lost World of Francis Scott Key

During his forty-plus years as a lawyer, Francis Scott Key argued well over one hundred appeals before the Supreme Court in Washington. As a devout evangelical Episcopalian and lay leader, he found himself steeped in the divisive issues sundering his church. His restless intellect and spirit sought an outlet in a mind-boggling array of philanthropic projects, which included the founding of the free African republic of Liberia.

As a result of new and overlooked sources and materials, new fact...