Hail Columbia

An audience of at least 200 people greeted the women with a standing ovation at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center as “Hail, Columbia,” the entrance march of the vice president, played.

After the swearing-in of Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris, the band will play the stately “Hail Columbia,” a tune dating to 1798 and that for many years was considered the national anthem.

“Handcuffed and in silence, through the streets of Washington, through the capital of a nation, whose theory of government, we were told, rests on the foundation of man’s inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness! Hail! Columbia, happy land, indeed!”

Until 1931, “Hail Columbia”was considered our national anthem.

Patriotism is a common theme, expressed in Francis Hopkinson’s 1798 ballad “Hail Columbia,” which until 1931 was regarded by many as the national anthem.