America The Beautiful Week – June 2-8

The lyrics were written in July 1893 by Katharine Lee Bates, who originally called her poem “Pike Peaks.” At the time, Bates was an English professor at Wellesley College. She had traveled by train to Colorado Springs to teach at Colorado College. Historians say she was deeply inspired by the breathtaking view from the top of Pike’s Peak, where she could see the vast Great Plains stretching over the wheat fields of America’s heartland in Kansas. While staying at the original Antlers Hotel, Bates wrote down her poem, capturing the beauty she saw.

Two years later, in 1895, the poem—now called “America”—was published in a magazine called The Congregationalist to celebrate the Fourth of July. The poem quickly struck a chord with the public, and many musicians began composing melodies to go along with it. The first known melody was by Silas Pratt, written soon after the poem’s publication. By 1900, there were about 75 different melodies set to Bates’ words!

In 1904, an updated version of the poem was released. Then, in 1910, Samuel A. Ward—who was the organist and choir director at Grace Church in Newark, New Jersey—found his inspiration for the tune during a ferry boat ride from Coney Island back to New York City. Interestingly, his melody was originally composed for an old hymn called ‘O Mother Dear, Jerusalem,’ which he later named ‘Materna.’

That same year, Bates’ poem and Ward’s music were combined and published together under the title America the Beautiful.

Over the years, many efforts were made—especially during President John F. Kennedy’s administration—to make America the Beautiful the national anthem. However, the country remained divided because many Americans loved The Star-Spangled Banner as well.

Sadly, Samuel A. Ward passed away in 1903, never knowing that his melody would become so beloved nationwide. Katharine Lee Bates, however, lived to enjoy her fame and passed away in 1929, knowing how much her words had touched the nation.