Welcome to War of 1812 tidewater country. Here, in the waters and on the
shores of the Chesapeake Bay, Americans fought to preserve their
recently won independence from the British. Detailing sites from
Maryland to Virginia to the District of Columbia, this portable
guidebook points readers to the war's most important battlefields and
historic places.
The book is organized into eighteen tours. Five Historic Route Tours
guide enthusiasts down the same roads and past the same buildings that
proved critical in the struggle. Thirteen Historic City, Town, and
Regional Tours feature key sites in Maryland, Virginia, and the District
of Columbia. Visitors can pick a tour and follow the President and First
Lady as they fled Washington, D.C., or British troops as they landed at
North Point, or the Declaration of Independence as patriots saved it
from the invaders.
The tours are organized geographically to make trip planning easy. All
are accessible by car or on foot; bike and water excursions are also
suggested where appropriate. Each tour includes a brief history and
information every visitor will need to know, such as the address, phone
number, website, parking availability, days and hours of operation, and
entrance fees. The guide is richly illustrated throughout, showing many
structures that no longer exist and numerous historic sites not visible
from public roads. Detailed maps direct visitors to each site.
Tourists can step back in time as they travel the same roads and
waterways that American and British troops did two centuries ago.
