Building on Past Achievements toward the Future Trail
| 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
Latest changes: 07Nov04 - update / 08Jan29 - update / 08Apr13 - add brief headers /
| The W3R-US is a coordinating body, so the activities and achievements noted on this page are the mostly the work of the state W3R organizations or affiliated organizations and individuals, Please give those organizations full credit for doing the work required to accomplish these tasks. |
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Prior to 1999: CONGRESS AUTHORIZES STUDY OF THE W3R:
Congress passed H.R. 4794, authorizing a study of the W3R.
This bill and a history of earlier efforts (going back to 1925) to commemorate the role
of the French Expeditionary force in 1780-83 are on the Expédition Particulière's Web site:
H.R. 4794 and W3R history 1999 Dec 16: FIRST W3R-US MEETING: Nearly 50 local historians and representatives from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut met at the Washington headquarters in Newburgh, New York to organize the W3R. The route was almost immediately designated as a Millenium Trail as advocated by the W3R-US. |
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2004 June to October:
WALKING THE NORTHERN PART OF THE TRAIL:
Lee Patrick Anderson walked about 200 miles of the W3R in RI and CT
to scout out the trail for the feasibility of a full-scale march in 2006
and to look for clues to where the original trail went.
Photo-report on 2004: Walking the W3R |
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2005 April:
SIGN DEDICATED IN DELAWARE:
The W3R-DE installed a sign commemorating the five-month stay
of Lauzun's Legion in Wilmington DE in 1782-3. The sign was funded
by the National Society SAR and the Delaware State Society of the DAR.
Photo-report on 2005 Apr: DE Sign 2005 July:
RE-ENACT 225TH: LANDING IN NEWPORT:
Hundreds of people enjoyed the performance of a large body of re-enactors
commemorating the landing of Rochambeau's Expeditionary Force in Newport RI.
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2006:
RESEARCH FOR NEW JERSEY PUBLISHED:
Dr. Robert Selig presented his historical and architectural study of the W3R
in Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Funding for a similar study
in Virginia has been secured. [CT, NY, and DE are done, and a preliminary study
of MD has been published. Nothing has yet been done in MA.]
SIGNAGE INSTALLED IN RI, NJ, DE: Standard W3R logo signs were placed along the route in Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Delaware. Virginia replaced many of its white-text-on green W3R wayfinding signs from the bicentennial anniversary (1981). MANY SIGNS DEDICATED IN CONNECTICUT: Connecticut placed the remainder of its twelve signs at campsites along the W3R in that state. 2006 May and June:
RE-ENACT 225TH: BOY SCOUTS MARCH ACROSS RI:
The Boy Scouts of Rhode Island began the commemoration
of the march of the allied U.S.-French army from Newport RI to Yorktown
with a fifty-mile hike (spread over five weekends) following the original W3R land route.
RE-ENACT 225TH: AMERICA'S (680-mile) MARCH TO YORKTOWN:
On June 18 three men -- with two support vehicles and drivers -- traveled by boat
from Newport to Providence RI. "America's March to Yorktown" then set out
to march 685 miles along the W3R folowing the daily schedule of the original march.
They were joined by dozens of short-term marchers and were welcomed in dozens of towns
along the route, arriving in Yorktown on October 7.
2006 June 1 to Sept 30 RE-ENACT 225TH: BOY SCOUTS MARCH ACROSS RI: The Society of the Cincinnati marked the 225th anniversary of the British surrender at Yorktown — the decisive battle in securing American independence — with an exhibition on Roads to Yorktown from June 1 through September 30, 2006, at Anderson House, the Society’s headquarters on Massachusetts Ave. in Washington DC. Thirty rare maps, prints, works of art, artifacts, and manuscripts from the Society's collections chronicle the various paths that the American, French, and British armies and navies followed, eventually leading them to Yorktown. These place that battle (and the American Revolution) in the context of the larger war for empire between Great Britain, France, Spain, and Holland -- a war that raged in the Caribbean for another two years. 2006 June 1 to Oct 20
BROWN UNIV. EXHIBIT AND SYMPOSIUM ON W3R:
Brown University (Providence RI) presented two exhibitions:
2006 July 4 KIOSK DEDICATED FOR PUBLICIZING THE W3R: As a pilot project a touch-screen kiosk was installed at the Amtrak Station in Wilmington DE. This station is visited by a million people each year. 2006 July 4 INDEPENDENCE VISITOR CENTER EXHIBIT ON W3R: Exhibit panels were installed at the Independence Visitor Center in Philadelphia PA. The exhibit will run through 2006 December 31. 2006 July 26: HOUSE AND SENATE PROPOSALS TO MAKE W3R A NHT: Bills were introduced in both houses of Congress to designate the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route a National Historic Trail, to map the route, and to give administrative authority to the United States Secretary of the Interior. Additionally, the bill specifies that no land shall be acquired outside of federal lands without the consent of the owner of the land or interest in land. These were not acted on before the end of the year, but bills with similar wording were introduced in 200. 2006 Sept-Oct: FAMILY MUSICAL ABOUT WASHINGTON AND ROCHAMBEAUI: Billy Lee's Washington is a musical with eighteen songs based on period music. It shows the life of George Washington from childhood to his first inauguration, as seen through the eyes of his slave, Billy Lee. Created by Evelyn Swensson, an experienced composer and conductor, it was performed seven times in Delaware as a family activity that both educates and entertains. 2006 October 18-20: RE-ENACT 225TH: SIEGE AND SURRENDER AT YORKTOWN: Many W3R members attended commemoration events in Washington DC and Yorktown VA related to the allied siege and victory at Yorktown 225 years ago. See the photo-report. 2006 Oct: MT. VERNON EXHIBIT RELATED TO W3R: The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association organized a traveling exhibition, "Lafayette and Washington", to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of the Marquis de Lafayette. It focuses on the close "father-son" relationship between George Washington and Lafayette. It was shown at Mt Vernon until 2007 Aug, then Lafayette College in PA to 2007 Oct, then at the New York Historical Society (Manhattan NY) to 2008 early Feb. |
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2007 March:
HOUSE AND SENATE RE-PROPOSE TO MAKE W3R A NHT:
New bills were introduced in both houses of Congress
to designate the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route a National Historic Trail,
to map the route, and to give administrative authority to the United States
Secretary of the Interior. The bill specifies that no land shall be acquired
outside of federal lands without the consent of the owner of the land or interest in land.
2007 April: NPS PUBLISHES REPORT AFFIRMING VALUE AS NHT: The final report and recommendations on the W3R from the National Park Service were published by the Government Printing Office. The NPS posted a Web page asking for and providing a form for public comments. 2007 April: W3R-US TESTIFIES AT SENATE HEARING: The Senate Subcommittee on National Parks (of the Committee for Energy and Resources) held a Legislative Hearing on S.686. Kim Burdick, chair of the W3R-US, presented testimony on behalf of the W3R-US. 2007 July: COMMERATION OF 225TH OF LANDING IN NEWPORT: First public use of the W3R Commons at www.w3r-commons.org, (funded by a grant from the National Park Service) with separate areas for a blog, a calendar, and discussion forums. 2007 Sep 01: COMMERATION OF 225TH OF REVIEW OF ALLIED ARMIES: The W3R-PA arranged for commemorations of the 225th anniversary of the allied army parade in review for the Continental Congress eleven months after the victory at Yorktown. Living historians portraying Ben Franklin, George Washington, Rochambeau, and Lafayette gave brief talks to the crowds that gathered to view two parades involving several fife and drum corps and several units of Continental Army soldiers with some French allies). The first parade passed Independence Hall in Philadelphia in the morning. The second passed through the Historic District of Chester in the afternoon. 2007 Oct 30: W3R-US TESTIFIES AT HOUSE HEARING: The House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands (of the Committee on Natural Resources) held a Legislative Hearing on H.R.1286. James M. Johnson, Vice Chair for Regional Coordination of the W3R-US, presented testimony on behalf of the W3R-US. 2007 Dec 14: COMMEMORATE 200TH OF DEATH OF ROCHAMBEAU: The W3R-PA commemorated the 200th anniversary if the death of Gen. Rochambeau with a symposium at the NcNeil Center for Early American Studies (Univ. of Penn.) NcNeil Director Dr. Dan Richter introduced a panel of speakers: Mark Lloyd (Director of the Univ. PA Archives), Dr. Fred Beutler (Deputy Historian of the U.S. House of Representatives), Dr. Robert Selig (National Park Service Project Historian), Dr. Lynn Miller (author), Dr. Wayne Bodle (Indiana Univ. of PA). After the panel Prof. Jonathan Dull (Yale Univ.) presented the keynote address on "France and the American Revolution -- The Russian Connection". |
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2008 Feb 16: WASHINGTON AND ROCHAMBEAU -- PARALLEL CAREERS?
was the title of a talk presented to a joint SAR/DAR meeting in Philadelphia
on the occasion of Washington's Birthday.
2008 April 17: THE ROCHAMBEAU FAMILY VISITS PHILADELPHIA The W3R-PA arranged guided tours for Bertrand de Rocahambeau and his family -- French descendants of General Rochambeau -- through Independence Hall, the Constitution Center, and several other historic sites. 2008 April 28: LAFAYETTE: CITIZEN OF TWO WORLDS
(end date) -- was a six-month exhibit to celebrate the 250th anniversary
of Lafayette’s birth. The Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Carl A. Kroch Library,
Cornell University (Ithaca NY) displayed items from its extensive Lafayette Collection,
the largest of its kind outside of France.
2008 May 30: 7TH-GRADE CLASS CREATES AND DEDICATES HISTORIC MARKER In Yorktown NY a 7th-grade American history class led a cosortium of organizations and living historians in dedicating an historic marker which the students had researched and designed to commemorate the French army's 1781 and 1782 encampments there. 2008 June: SENATE W3R BILL INCORPORATED INTO AN OMNIBUS BILL: S.686 was incorporated into an omnibus bill, S.3213, Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2008. 2008 July 02: SEVERAL LEGISLATURES HONOR THE ALLIANCE The U.S. Congress, the Pennsylvania House and Senate, and several other legislative bodies adopted resolutions commemorating 225th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Paris. 2008 July 10: HOUSE W3R BILL ADOPTED The U.S. House of Representatives debated, amended, and passed H.R.1286, designating the W3R a National Historic Trail. 2008 Aug: LAFAYETTE AND WASHINGTON
(end date) -- The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association organized this traveling exhibit
to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of the Marquis de Lafayette.
It focuses on the close "father-son" relationship between George Washington and Lafayette.
Over a two-year period it wasshown at Mt Vernon, Lafayette College in PA,
and the New York Historical Society (Manhattan NY). .
2008 Sep 03: COMMEMORATION OF 225TH OF TREATY OF PEACE: Several international organizations (SAR, Society of Cincinnati, DAR) combined efforts to have a week-long celebration (with several hundred participants) in Paris of the signing of peace treaties between the allies -- U.S., France, and Spain --- and Great Britain. Smaller commemorations were organized in a number of cities along the W3R in the U.S. At Philadelphia the festivities included the rededication of a plaque commemorating the encampment of Rochambeau's forces, a symposium on "The Treaty of Paris and Its Impact on Pennsylvania", and a parade (with thirteen nits) and wreath-layings at both Washington Square (Philadelphia) and Valley Forge to honor the sacrifices made by allied patriots. 2008 Oct 19: W3R-USA MARCHES AT YORKTOWN The W3R organization celebrated its fifth anniversary in April and in October provided a parade contingent in the annual Yorktown Day parade. Several W3R leaders received major recognitions this month: Kim Burdick (DE), Nicole Yancey (VA), and Win Carroll (PA). 2008 Dec 31: 110th CONGRESS' DESIGNATION EFFORT EXPIRES Enactment into law requires passage of a parallel resolution by the Senate as well as Presidential agreement and signature. Although S.3213 was approved for consideration by the full Senate several major national crises took precedence over action on that bill, so the effort to achieve designation by the 110th Congress expired as its term ended early in January 2009. |
The online exhibition| GO TO TOP OF PAGE |
| States => | MA | RI | CT | NY | NJ | PA | DE | MD/DC | VA |
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| Doc Survey Report | no | IP | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | IP | IP |
| Historical Homes Report | no | IP | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | some | IP |
| Route Markers | no | Yes | Yes | no | few | no | Yes | no | Yes |
| Tourism Brochure and Map | no | no | Yes | no | no | no | Yes | no | no |
| Draft Auto Route | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Draft Bicycle Tour | no | no | no | no | no | no | Yes | no | no |
| Draft Walking Tour | no | Yes | no | no | no | no | Yes | no | no |
| Interpretive Signs | no | some | many | many | no | few | few | few | many |
| Speakers Bureau | no | no | no | no | no | no | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Public Events with Affiliates | no | Yes | Yes | Yes | no | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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