Hail to the Chief: The Americanization of Walter Scott During the War of 1812 (2012 Ridge Lecture)
Joseph Rezek explains how the song “Hail to the Chief” had its origins in Sir Walter Scott’s poem “The Lady of the Lake,” an anthem to a Scottish highland clan leader. In his talk, he describes how it became a patriotic song during the War of 1812, when Scott’s popularity was at its height in America. Rezek is assistant professor of English at Boston University.
