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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 791

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.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 23, 1999

Mr. GILCHREST (for himself and Mr. CARDIN) introduced the following bill;

which was referred to the Committee on Resources

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.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Star-Spangled Banner

5 National Historic Trail Study Act of 1999’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 Congress finds that—
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1 (1) the British invasion of Maryland and Wash2 ington, District of Columbia, during the War of

3 1812 marks a defining period in the history of our

4 Nation, the only occasion on which the United

5 States of America has been invaded by a foreign

6 power;

7 (2) the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic

8 Trail traces the arrival of the British fleet in the Pa9 tuxent River in Calvert County and St. Mary’s

10 County, Maryland, the landing of British forces at

11 Benedict, the sinking of the Chesapeake Flotilla at

12 Pig Point in Prince George’s County and Anne

13 Arundel County, Maryland, the American defeat at

14 the Battle of Bladensburg, the siege of the Nation’s

15 Capital, Washington, District of Columbia (including

16 the burning of the United States Capitol and the

17 White House), the British naval diversions in the

18 upper Chesapeake Bay leading to the Battle of

19 Caulk’s Field in Kent County, Maryland, the route

20 of the American troops from Washington through

21 Georgetown, the Maryland Counties of Montgomery,

22 Howard, and Baltimore, and the city of Baltimore,

23 Maryland, to the Battle of North Point, and the ulti24 mate victory of the Americans at Fort McHenry on

25 September 14, 1814, where a distinguished Mary-
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1 land lawyer and poet, Francis Scott Key, wrote the

2 words that captured the essence of our national

3 struggle for independence, words that now serve as

4 our national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner; and

5 (3) the designation of this route as a national

6 historic trail—

7 (A) would serve as a reminder of the im8 portance of the concept of liberty to all who ex9 perience the Star-Spangled Banner National

10 Historic Trail; and

11 (B) would give long overdue recognition to

12 the patriots whose determination to stand firm

13 against enemy invasion and bombardment pre14 served this liberty for future generations of

15 Americans.

16 SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF TRAIL FOR STUDY.

17 Section 5(c) of the National Trails System Act (16

18 U.S.C. 1244(c)) is amended—

19 (1) by redesignating paragraph (36) (as added

20 by section 3 of the El Camino Real Para Los Texas

21 Study Act of 1993 (107 Stat. 1497)) as paragraph

22 (37);

23 (2) by designating the paragraphs relating to

24 the Old Spanish Trail and the Great Western Scenic

25 Trail as paragraphs (38) and (39), respectively; and
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1 (3) by adding at the end the following:

2 ‘‘(40) STAR-SPANGLED BANNER NATIONAL HIS3 TORIC TRAIL.—

4 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Star-Spangled

5 Banner National Historic Trail, tracing the

6 War of 1812 route from the arrival of the Brit7 ish fleet in the Patuxent River in Calvert Coun8 ty and St. Mary’s County, Maryland, the land9 ing of the British forces at Benedict, the sink10 ing of the Chesapeake Flotilla at Pig Point, the

11 American defeat at the Battle of Bladensburg,

12 the siege of the Nation’s Capital, Washington,

13 District of Columbia (including the burning of

14 the United States Capitol and the White

15 House), the British naval diversions in the

16 upper Chesapeake Bay leading to the Battle of

17 Caulk’s Field in Kent County, Maryland, the

18 route of the American troops from Washington

19 through Georgetown, the Maryland Counties of

20 Montgomery, Howard, and Baltimore, and the

21 city of Baltimore, Maryland, to the Battle of

22 North Point, and the ultimate victory of the

23 Americans at Fort McHenry on September 14,

24 1814.
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1 ‘‘(B) AFFECTED AREAS.—The trail crosses

2 9 counties within the boundaries of the State of

3 Maryland, the city of Baltimore, Maryland, and

4 Washington, District of Columbia.’’

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