text: when our founding fathers wrote "land of the free"? when our founding fathers wrote "land of the free" i know it wasn't just a catchy phrase they felt good about- they knew what it ment.  what did they mean?  exactly what do the words "land of the free" mean? actually, francis scott key wrote the phrase "land of the free" as part of the star spangled banner.  he wasn't a founding father, he was a poet and a lawyer who witnessed the attack on fort mchenry in 1814. it was one of the battles of the war of 1812.  the phrase is referring to the usa.