[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 121 (Monday, September 14, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S10320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SARBANES (for himself and Ms. Mikulski):
  S. 2465. A bill to amend the National Trails System Act to designate 
the route of the War of 1812 British invasion of Maryland and 
Washington, District of Columbia, and the route of the American 
defense, for study for potential addition to the national trails 
system; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.


     star-spangled banner national historic trail study act of 1998

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to 
help commemorate and preserve significant sites associated with 
America's Second War of Independence, the War of 1812. My legislation, 
entitled ``The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail Study Act 
of 1998,'' directs the Secretary of the Interior to initiate a study to 
assess the feasibility and desirability of designating the route of the 
British invasion of Washington, D.C. and their subsequent defeat at 
Baltimore, Maryland, as a National Historic Trail.
  Since the passage of the National Trail Systems Act of 1968, the 
National Park Service has recognized historically significant routes of 
exploration, migration and military action through its National 
Historic Trails Program. Routes such as the Juan Bautista de Anza, 
Lewis and Clark, Pony Express and Selma to Montgomery National Historic 
Trails cross our country and represent important episodes of our 
nation's history, episodes which were influential in shaping the very 
future of this country. It is my view that the inclusion of the Star-
Spangled Banner Trail will give long overdue recognition to another of 
these important events.
  The War of 1812, and the Chesapeake Campaign in particular, mark a 
turning point in the development of the United States. Faced with the 
possibility of losing the independence for which they struggled so 
valiantly, the citizens of this country were forced to assert 
themselves on an international level.
  From the period of the arrival of the British forces at Bendedict, in 
Charles County, Maryland, on August 18, 1814, to the American victory 
at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, on September 14, 1814, the war took a 
dramatic turn. The American forces, largely comprised of Maryland's 
citizens, were able to slow the British advance through the state and 
successfully defended Baltimore, leading to the retreat of the British.
  The sites along this trail mark some of the most historically 
important events of the War of 1812. It begins with the only combined 
naval and land attack on the United States, originating at Benedict, 
Maryland and continuing on to the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. It 
follows the defeat of the Americans at the Battle of Bladensburg, the 
evacuation of the United States Government, the burning of the nation's 
capital, including the White House and the Capitol Building, the battle 
at North Point and the bombardment of Fort McHenry, site of the 
composition of our National Anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, and the 
ultimate defeat of the British.
  The route will also serve to bring awareness to several lesser known, 
but equally important sites of the war, including St. Leonard's Creek 
in Calvert County, where two American vessels scuttled by the British 
have recently been found, Brookeville, Maryland, which served as the 
nation's capital for one day, and Todd's Inheritance, the signal 
station for the American defenders at Fort McHenry. These sites, and 
many like them, will only enrich the story told along the trail. 
Additionally, the attention given to these sites should prove 
beneficial in terms of efforts to preserve and restore them.
  Mr. President, the designation of the route of the British invasion 
of Washington and American defense of Baltimore as a National Historic 
Trail will serve as a reminder of the importance of the concept of 
liberty to all who experience the Star-Spangled Banner Trail. It will 
also give long overdue recognition to those patriots whose 
determination to stand firm against enemy invasion and bombardment 
preserved this liberty for future generations of Americans.
                                 ______