Tuhia he toenga mo tenei pene - I whanau a Key i te Paenga-whawha 12, 1757, tata ki Charlestown, Cecil County, Province of Maryland, British America, i whai i tetahi akoranga maatauranga. Ko ia he Loyalist i te American Revolutionary War, e whawhai ana ki te British Army
mai i te tau 1777 ki te tau 1781. I mahi ia i roto i te Maryland Loyalists Battalion hei rangatira. I hopukina a Key me tana ope katoa e te ope taua Paniora i te pakanga ki nga Pakeha i Pensacola, Florida. I mauheretia a Key mo te marama kotahi i Havana, Cuba i mua i te tuku i a ia ki New York City, New York tae noa ki te mutunga o te pakanga. Whai muri i te pakanga, ka haere a Key ki Ingarangi ka mutu i te Middle Temple i Ranana i te tau 1784 ka panui i te ture i te tau 1785. I hoki ia ki Maryland i te tau 1785. I whakaaetia ia ki te kaari, ka uru ki te mahi takitahi i Leonardtown, Maryland mai i te 1787 ki te 1790. I haere tonu ia ki te mahi takitahi i Annapolis, Maryland mai i te 1790 ki te 1794, mai i te 1799 ki te 1800. He mema ia o te Whare Kaitohutohu o Maryland mai i te 1794 ki te 1799. Ko ia te Tumuaki o Annapolis mai i te tau 1797 ki te tau 1798.