Behind the Patriotic Hymn: Hail Columbia

Hail, Columbia was composed by Philip Phile in 1789. He composed the song for the first inauguration of George Washington and titled the song “The President’s March”. In 1798, Joseph Hopkinson added lyrics and the song became known as “Hail, Columbia”.  During the 18th Century, Columbia was a poetic name often used to identify the United States. The song was […]

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