A unique American-Indian connection !

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of America. The lyrics come from a poem written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key, a then 35-year-old amateur poet who wrote a poem titled "Defence of Fort McHenry" after seeing the bombardment of Fort McHenry at Baltimore, Maryland, by Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812.

So what is the Indian connection ?,you might ask. Hang on.
the fifth & sixth lines of the Anthem reads...

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

The rockets that Francis Scott saw were the Congreve Rockets , well known to be inspired by Tipu Sultan's rockets which he used against the British. The wikipedia entry says that several specimens of Tipu's rockets were in fact sent to England for study & the design was improved upon. Interesting piece of trivia ..right ?