Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and desirability of designating the routes used by the British and Americans during the 1814 Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812 as a National Historic Trail (NHT) under the study provisions of the National Trails System Act (Public Law 90-543, 16 USC 1241, et seq.). This report is intended to provide information necessary for the evaluation of national significance and the potential designation of a NHT. The proposed NHT would commemorate the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812, which includes the British invasion of Maryland, Battle of Bladensburg, burning of the White House and the Capitol, and the Battle for Baltimore in the summer of 1814. Eight potential land and water trail segments trace the historic routes of the British and American forces and the battles that inspired the writing of the poem that became the National Anthem. The routes taken by President Madison and the First Lady when fleeing Washington, the route to move important national documents to safety, and the route taken by the American forces to defend Baltimore are also studied and analyzed.