Inspired by the view atop Colorado's Pikes Peak and her journey across America, Katharine Lee Bates wrote a poem entitled, "Pikes Peak." Samuel A. Ward penned a hymn, "Materna" after an inspiring ferry ride from Coney Island to New York in 1882. He died in 1903 before his music was arranged with the poem.
The poem was first published on July 4, 1895 in The Congregationist, a weekly church periodical. "Materna" was the original title of the music selected for "America the Beautiful." Neither the poet nor the composer knew one another. Their work was collectively drawn together as the popular "America the Beautiful."
In 1926, The National Federation of Music Clubs sought out the most fitting melody to accompany the renamed poem, "America." None were as outstanding as "Materna." The lyrics recall the physical beauty and peaceful integrity of America. Bates speaks of Pilgrims traveling across wilderness in search of freedom. She was captivated by "spacious skies" and beautiful mountains that rose above fields of wheat. She speaks of "alabaster cities gleam" or the World's Fair "white city."
Considered easier to sing than "The Star Spangled Banner," this melody is frequently heard at sports events, including the Super Bowl. A stirring version was Ray Charles's, recorded in 1991. It has also been sung by Elvis Presley, Reba MacIntyre and John Legend.
After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, America the Beautiful embraces patriotic significance to Americans. The song is time-honored and has been petitioned in Congress to replace "The Star Spangled Banner" as the American Anthem or as the national hymn.