Bacon's Rebellion in 1676 set a pattern: when ordinary people align, those in power split them. John traces it 350 years.

The republic has survived turmoil before. John traces what broke, what held, and what repaired, from 1798 to Gettysburg.

Key wrote it in 1814, but The Star-Spangled Banner didn't become the national anthem until 1931. A cartoon helped push Congress to act.