Star-Spangled Trail Gets Federal Grant

Project Pays Homage to 'Forgotten War'

Many historians say the War of 1812 is the "forgotten war," even in Maryland, where the majority of the British-American conflict was fought and the "Star-Spangled Banner" was written. Now, nearly 200 years later, federal and state officials want to change that.

Last month, Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined National Park Service staff members in Prince George's County to announce the allocation of a $100,000 federal grant to create part of the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail.

The trail, conceived in 2003, will wind through sites in Calvert, Charles, St. Mary's and Prince George's counties, Alexandria, the District and Baltimore, where Francis Scott Key wrote the national anthem.

"The War of 1812 is a very important story for which there is exciting, tangible evidence throughout the region. So the question is about how you help people experience that," said Bill Pencek, executive director of the state's War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission. "We are planning the star-spangled experience for the Chesapeake region."

The 290-mile trail will begin in Calvert at the site of the June 1814 battle at St. Leonard's Creek, then travel north to the site of the British landing in Benedict, along the Patuxent River in Charles. Other stops will include the sites of the Battle of Bladensburg, the Raid on Alexandria and the Battle of Baltimore. It was in Baltimore, under the rockets' red glare and with bombs bursting in the air, that American troops turned the war in their favor by fighting off a British sea invasion, inspiring the anthem.

"In Maryland, there is a point of particular pride with the involvement in the launching of the 'Star-Spangled Banner,' " said Bob Campbell, a program manager with the Park Service's Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network, which is administering the federal grant. The trail has "an evocative title that connects with people's interest."

Markers commemorating the Battle of St. Leonard's Creek will sit at what is now Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum, which in September will be the site of the largest War of 1812 reenactment. The park regularly hosts events and lectures commemorating the battle, making it the state's biggest physical source of War of 1812 history.

Although the war occurred three decades after the American Revolution, historians credit the U.S. triumph in 1814 as the young nation's final declaration of independence. The war, which stemmed from American anger over conscription of sailors into the British Navy and British trade restrictions, led to a huge increase in U.S. national pride after the triumph was cemented with the Treaty of Ghent.

"Maryland's unique contributions to the defense and heritage of the nation include the pivotal clash that ensured American victory, an iconic flag, and our national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner," Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) wrote in an executive order authorizing creation of the trail last year.

The trail will incorporate land as well as water elements, although project planners have not decided on specifics. The land routes will generally run along existing roads, which will be decorated with trail markers explaining local battles and other interpretive materials.

In the District, the trail will focus on the Burning of Washington, the 1814 action in which British troops burned the Senate, the House of Representatives, the White House and other public buildings in retaliation for the U.S. invasion of York, Canada. First lady Dolley Madison managed to save the original Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and a famed portrait of George Washington, but the major government buildings were destroyed.

Some elements of the trail will be completed by the beginning of the bicentennial celebration in 2012. The markers will exist past the 30-month anniversary period, and organizers said they hope the markers become a major part of education and tourism efforts across Maryland.

"The creation of the trail is very, very important for investing in the region's resources for the purposes of tourism," Pencek said. "It's the cornerstone of our efforts to bring attention to history."