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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 441

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

FEBRUARY 23, 1999

Mr. SARBANES (for himself and Ms. MIKULSKI) introduced the following bill;

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 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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•S 441 IS

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 route of the British naval attack on

9 the Chesapeake Flotilla at St. Leonard’s Creek, the

10 landing of the British forces at Benedict, Maryland,

11 the American defeat at the Battle of Bladensburg,

12 the siege of the Nation’s capital, Washington, Dis13 trict of Columbia (including the burning of the

14 United States Capitol and the White House), the

15 British expedition to and subsequent skirmishes

16 within the upper Chesapeake Bay, the route of the

17 American troops between Washington and Balti18 more, the Battle of North Point, and the ultimate

19 victory of the Americans at Fort McHenry, on Sep20 tember 14, 1814, where a distinguished Maryland

21 lawyer and poet, Francis Scott Key, wrote the words

22 that captured the essence of our national struggle

23 for independence, words that now serve as our na24 tional anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner; and
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•S 441 IS

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

2 historic trail—

3 (A) would serve as a reminder of the im4 portance of the concept of liberty to all who ex5 perience the Star-Spangled Banner National

6 Historic Trail; and

7 (B) would give long overdue recognition to

8 the patriots whose determination to stand firm

9 against enemy invasion and bombardment pre10 served this liberty for future generations of

11 Americans.

12 SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF TRAIL FOR STUDY.

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

14 U.S.C. 1244(c)) is amended—

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

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

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

18 (37);

19 (2) by designating the paragraphs relating to

20 the Old Spanish Trail and the Great Western Scenic

21 Trail as paragraphs (38) and (39), respectively; and

22 (3) by adding at the end the following:

23 ‘‘(40) STAR-SPANGLED BANNER NATIONAL HIS24 TORIC TRAIL.—
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•S 441 IS

1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Star-Spangled

2 Banner National Historic Trail, tracing the

3 War of 1812 route of the British naval attack

4 on the Chesapeake Flotilla at St. Leonard’s

5 Creek, the landing of the British forces at

6 Benedict, Maryland, the American defeat at the

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

8 capital, Washington, District of Columbia (in9 cluding the burning of the United States Cap10 itol and the White House), actions between the

11 British and American forces in the upper

12 Chesapeake Bay, the route of the American

13 troops between Washington and Baltimore, the

14 Battle of North Point, and the ultimate victory

15 of the Americans at Fort McHenry, on Septem16 ber 14, 1814.

17 ‘‘(B) AFFECTED AREAS.—The trail crosses

18 more than 6 Maryland counties, the city of Bal19 timore, and Washington, District of Colum20 bia.’’.

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