Samuel Francis Smith handwritten 'America' lyricsThe first verse of the traditional U. S anthem 'America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)', handwritten and signed by the song's author Samuel Francis Smith. Reverend Samuel Francis Smith (1808 1895) was a Baptist minister and author most famous for writing the song 'America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)' in 1831. The song srved as the de facto national anthem of the United States, until it was officially replaced by The Star Spangled Banner in 1932. This