Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is Captain John Smith?
A: Captain John Smith (1580-1631),
born the son a farmer in Lincolnshire, England, left home to seek adventure
and fortune, and by the young age
of 24 years had already served with brilliance in the Dutch Wars and
in the Near East. He escaped his Turkish captors and returned to England
in 1604 where he became interested in the newly chartered Virginia Company
and made arrangements to be among the first settlers in 1606. Due to
jealousies among the leaders of the transatlantic expedition, Smith arrived
to Jamestown in chains. However, after opening a sealed box of instructions
from The Virginia Company upon landing, Smith learned he was to be a
member of the Council of the Colony.
His resourcefulness and energies proved more and more valuable to the
colonists, until he was singled out as the leader and President of Jamestown.
He explored the territory in and around the Chesapeake Bay, traded with
the Chesapeake Indians for food, enforced order and work among the settlers,
and probably saved Jamestown Colony. As chronicled in his descriptive journals,
Smith’s voyages ignited the imagination of the Old World. Furthermore,
his rise to President of the Jamestown colony personified the chance for
a better life that would become the American dream for generations of immigrants.
Q: When did Captain Smith explore the Chesapeake Bay?
A: After enduring a lengthy voyage of over four months
from England to the New World, Smith’s first exploration of the Chesapeake Bay
began in April 1607 as he and the surviving English colonist’s
began their search for a proper settlement. The expedition scouted the
James
River until settling on James Island on May 14, 1607.
The following year, Smith circumnavigated the Chesapeake Bay and explored
its tributaries during two monumental voyages, both starting from Jamestown.
On the first voyage, he traveled north along the eastern shore, exploring
the mouth of the Pocomoke River and traveling some distance up the Nanticoke
River into what is now Delaware. From there, he continued north on the
Bay as far as present-day Baltimore and the Patapsco River, then headed
south along the western shore, exploring the Potomac River and some of
its tributaries to a point northwest of present-day Washington, DC, before
returning to Jamestown. On the second voyage, Smith went straight up the
Bay to the Susquehanna River and present-day Havre de Grace, exploring
the Patuxent and Rappahannock Rivers on his return trip southward. In early
1609, Smith also explored the York River, Mattaponi River and Pamunky River.
Q: Where is the trail/What is the trail?
A: The Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail is America’s first entirely water-based National Historic Trail and consists of a circuit of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries combining the routes of Smith’s historic voyages in 1607-1609. The National Park Service Web site http://www.nps.gov/cajo should be accessible by April 2007. Printed maps and guides are expected to be available through visitors centers by May 1, 2007. These will provide more traditional navigational, historical, cultural and environmental information. In addition, interpretative buoys will serve as scientific observation platforms and educational resources at key points along the trail. Accessible through the Internet and cellular phones, the buoys will provide important cultural, geographic and historical information while transmitting real-time scientific data to the world-wide-web. After May 12, 2007, to access the buoy system visit http://www.buoybay.org or call 1-866-BOUYBAY.
View the National Park Service trail
map showing John Smith's
voyages.
Q: Why are Smith and his voyages of discovery significant?
A: May 2007 will mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown
and the beginning of Captain Smith’s epic voyages of exploration
and mapping of the Chesapeake Bay region. These events marked an historical
pivot point, setting the Chesapeake Bay region on a course that would
forever transform its culture, commerce and environment. Smith's arrival
also set the stage for revolutionary political, social and economic developments
destined to shape the broader course of western civilization. As reported
in the National Park Service (NPS) Statement of National Significance,
the trail is of national significance for its association with
the following themes: 1) ethnic heritage (Native Americans); (2) exploration
and settlement and (3) commerce and trade. To view the NPS Statement
of National Significance in its entirety, please visit www.nps.gov/nero/josm/documents.htm.
Because the quadricentennial anniversary is sure to bring a wealth of
national and international attention to the Chesapeake Bay region, legislation
to establish the trail offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stir
interest in and concern for one of the world's great natural treasures.
In addition, it offers a most fitting occasion to commemorate John Smith’s
crucial role, not only in the survival of Jamestown, but in the shaping
of the American ideal.
Q: Who is involved in the effort?
A: The Friends of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Water
Trail is a group whose founders include Gilbert Grosvenor, Chairman of
the National Geographic Society, William Baker, President of the Chesapeake
Bay Foundation and Patrick Noonan, Chairman Emeritus of The Conservation
Fund. The mission of this group is to celebrate the unique history and
environment of the Chesapeake Bay while highlighting current efforts
to restore the Chesapeake's health and creating a lasting legacy for
future generations through the establishment of the Captain John Smith
Chesapeake National Historic Trail.
Other key partners include the Chesapeake Bay Commission, Chesapeake Executive
Council, DuPont Corporation, Garden Club of America, Izaak Walton League
of America, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Sultana Projects, Inc., the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Park Service, the
Jamestown 400th Commemoration Commission and numerous government representatives
from the States of Maryland and Delaware and the Commonwealths of Virginia
and Pennsylvania. In addition, over twenty counties, eighteen cities, towns
and chambers of commerce, as well as several marine trade organizations,
river associations, landowners and educational groups, have thus far voiced
their support of the trail via letters and/or resolutions.
See our About the Friends page for more information.
Q: What does it take to establish a National Historic Trail?
A: To establish a National Historic Trail (NHT), the trail must meet criteria
required by the National Trail System Act (NTSA). Criteria include (1)
trail or route established by historic use and historically significant
as a result of that use; (2) national significance with respect to any
of several broad facets of American history; and (3) significant potential
for public recreational use or historical interest based on historic
interpretation and appreciation. Typically, the NPS will conduct a feasibility
study to determine if a trail meets the above criteria under legislation
passed by the Congress. Pending a positive recommendation from the NPS,
the Congress can pass legislation to establish the trail.
Q: What is the status of the NPS Feasibility Study?
A: On August 2, 2005, President Bush signed bipartisan legislation to authorize
the NPS to study the feasibility and desirability of establishing the
Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. In March 2006,
the National Landmarks Committee and the National Park System Advisory
Board found that Smith’s voyages are nationally significant. The
Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail Feasibility Study
and Environmental Assessment, which incorporates the statement of national
significance, was released for public comment on July 17, 2006.
The study is available online at www.nps.gov/nero/josm/documents.htm.
The NPS found that the trail fully meets the required criteria and recommended
federal designation as a National Historic Trail. The 30-day public comment
period on the study report ends on August 16, 2006.
Q: What is the legislative status of the trail?
A: Based on the finding of national significance, on April 6, 2006, Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) and Senator John Warner (R-VA) introduced bipartisan legislation, S. 2568, to establish the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. The bill would designate “a series of water routes extending approximately 3,000 miles along the Chesapeake Bay,” that traces the 1607 -1609 voyages of Captain John Smith. On May 24, 2006, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources unanimously approved S.2568, reporting the bill to the full Senate. Also on May 24, 2006, Representative Jo Ann Davis (R-VA) introduced companion House legislation, H.R. 5466 to establish the trail. On September 28, 2006, the Subcommittee on National Parks in the House Resources Committee held a hearing on H.R. 5466, where the Bush Administration testified in support of trail establishment based on the findings of the trail feasibility study.
In early December 2006, Congress passed H.R. 5466, and on December 19, 2006, President Bush signed the bill into law authorizing the establishment of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail!
Q: Who will benefit from the trail?
A: The Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic
Trail will offer recreational enthusiasts a world-class outdoor experience
showcasing the unmatched scenic resources and abundant wildlife of the
Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Of equal significance, the trail
will advance public awareness and knowledge of Chesapeake Native American
history, the struggles of the early English settlement and the foundations
of democracy in America.
The trail will also encourage a greater understanding of the region's
abundant ecological attributes while promoting economic development throughout
the Chesapeake Bay region. As this national treasure is more fully appreciated
by residents and visitors alike via a new National Historic Trail, the
Chesapeake Bay itself will likely benefit as more and more people recognize
the threatened ecological condition of the Bay and gain knowledge of the
actions necessary to restore the Bay to its full health.
Q: What are the educational benefits from the trail?
A: The Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail provides
an excellent opportunity for the public to learn about the Chesapeake’s
rich cultural heritage as well as the extraordinary natural resources
of the United State’s largest estuary. In conjunction with the
national and international attention to accompany the 400th anniversary
of the founding of Jamestown, we have an extraordinary occasion to bring
history to life and to excite an entire generation of young people to
learn about the many historical, natural, and recreational assets of
the Chesapeake Bay.
Along with the NPS, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) is currently working with the private sector and local partners
to deploy interpretive buoys along Smith’s route in time for the
May 2007 quadricentennial. The buoy system will collect and distribute
scientific, cultural, and historic information via the Internet and cellular
technology to give the public an additional opportunity to experience Smith’s
journeys and discover the roots of American democracy. The trail
could also promote public education through: trail maps and guidebooks,
classroom/distance learning and field trip experiences, museum exhibits,
and informational kiosks along the shore.
Q: What are the economic benefits from the trail?
A: The trail offers tremendous economic opportunities through
heritage and recreational tourism, such as trail outfitting and guide
services,
motor coach tours, food, lodging, and maritime commerce. In fact, cultural
heritage travelers spend more and stay longer than the average tourist.
In general, trails tend to have large annual net economic benefits associated
with the addition of jobs and significant opportunities to local businesses.
More specific to a water trail, trail outfitters and guide services will
benefit from canoeing and kayaking enthusiasts, one of the fastest growing
forms of outdoor recreation.
In addition to the long-term economic benefits discussed above, short-term
economic benefits focused around the 400th anniversary celebrations include
the shallop museum tour, the shallop reenactment tour, community projects
for schools and local initiatives for sponsoring community celebrations
and events.
Q: How much will the trail cost?
A: Based on information provided by the NPS, the Congressional Budget Office
estimates that establishing, developing and administering the
trail would cost approximately $2 million over the 2007-2011 period.
Of this amount, it is estimated that the NPS would spend a total of $400,000
over the next two years to prepare a comprehensive management plan for
the trail and approximately $500,000 annually beginning in 2009 to maintain
the trail, develop access sites and install interpretive signs. A public-private
partnership of funding will provide for the appropriate technical assistance
and administration of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic
Trail.
Q: Who will manage the trail?
A: The NPS will manage the trail in partnership with other federal agencies, state and local governments, non-profit organization(s) and the private sector. The Director of NPS, Mary Bomar, recently named John Maounis Trail Superintendent for the newly-established Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.
Q: When will the trail be operational?
A: The NPS is currently initiating preparation of a Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) for the trail. The release of the CMP will include a public process to solicit comments and encourage public participation associated with implementation of the trail. Segments of the trail are currently operational at the state level, such as Captain John Smith’s Trail along the James River currently managed by Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Q: Do Native Americans support the trail?
A: On May 8, 2006, the Virginia Council on Indians (VCI) signed a resolution
in support of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.
The Council is composed of representatives from the following tribes:
Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Mattaponi, Monacan Indian Nation,
Nansemond, Pamunkey, Rappahanock and Upper Mattaponi.
The local Native American populations of the Bay interacted extensively
with John Smith and the early English settlers, providing them with valuable
knowledge and trades goods, which were largely responsible for their survival
during the early days of the Jamestown colony. The trail would
be an excellent vehicle to educate the public about American Indian culture
and history as well as to tell the story of English settlement not just
from the European perspective, but also from the American Indian perspective.
See our Native Americans page for more information.
Q: How are the Chesapeake Interpretive Buoys related to the trail?
A: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Chesapeake
Bay Office is developing a prototype Chesapeake
Bay Interpretive Buoy System
(CBIBS) through funding provided by Congress. Additional funds have been
made available to develop classroom and community activities through
the NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training Program. NOAA plans to
unveil the concept buoy and the educational programming during the Jamestown
400th anniversary commemoration in 2007.
NOAA is currently collaborating with the National Geographic Society,
the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the private sector, as well as future
water trail users and educators, to develop the buoy’s technical,
educational and interactive components. CBIBS will provide educational
and interactive components relayed via cellular telephones to nearby skippers
and kayakers and via the Internet to students in the classroom. In addition
to education, the buoys will have many other recreational, commercial and
maritime applications. It is hoped that the prototype will serve as the
first in an interactive system of buoys that will be placed throughout
the Bay as trail markers for the trail.
Q: How does this project relate to the Captain John Smith 400
Project?
A: The Captain John Smith Four
Hundred Project, a multi-year educational effort
to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Smith’s voyages, was developed
as a signature product for the Friends of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake
National Historic Water Trail. The focal point of the effort is the full-scale
reproduction of John Smith’s “shallop”, the 25- to
30-foot open boat used by Smith and his crew to explore the Chesapeake
Bay and its tributaries.
Relying upon 17th century tools and construction techniques, the replica
was constructed in 2005 by Sultana
Projects, Inc., a non-profit educational
organization based in Chestertown, Maryland, best known for providing educational
programs on board its reproduction of the 1768 schooner Sultana. Based
upon extensive research, the two-piece design of the shallop is thought
to be similar to the design originally employed by the Jamestown expedition
nearly 400 years ago.
The shallop was ceremoniously launched in November 2006 into the Chester
River prior to its 2006 museum tour and 2007 commemorative reenactment
expedition (see below).
Q: When and where is the reenactment tour of Smith's voyages?
A: On May 12th, 2007, a crew of fourteen brave adventurers, historians,
writers, scientists, and teachers will embark upon a 121-day voyage to
Captain
John Smith’s legendary explorations of the Chesapeake employing
Sultana’s replica of Smith’s shallop.
Propelled by oar and sail alone, the voyage will span more than 1,100
miles in length, re-chartering almost every major tributary of the Bay.
The shallop and her crew will appropriately begin their journey in Historic
Jamestown, following Smith’s 400-year old footsteps, and will continue
in three legs:
- Jamestown to Washington, DC, between May 12th and July 1st, 2007;
- Washington, DC, to Havre de Grace between July 2nd and July 2nd,
2007; and
- Havre de Grace back to Jamestown between July 23rd and September
8th, 2007.
The shallop has numerous stops along the route where the public can view the shallop and tour an exhibit about Smith’s voyages. Local hosts of the shallop stops include state parks, museums and city harbors. More information about the reenactment voyage may be found at the following website: http://www.johnsmith400.org/.
Q: Will the National Historic Trail designation restrict current
land/water use?
A: As requested by Congress, the NPS conducted an extensive analysis of
the potential impacts the designation of the trail as a National
Historic Trail would likely have on land and water, including docks and
piers, along the proposed route or bordering the study route that is
privately owned at the time of the study. The NPS concluded the following: “there
is an extensive number of public and private boating facilities located
throughout the Chesapeake Bay. This existing infrastructure is available
to support boating activities including those associated with the
Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. The states have
sufficient laws and regulations in place that can address issues that
may arise as a result of boat traffic along the trail. The trail will
not place any additional requirements on property owners who want to
dredge or maintain or construct marinas, piers, docks, slips, boat ramps
or shoreline protection. In light of the above, this study has determined
there will not be a significant impact on private properties as a result
of establishing the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.”
Both the Senate (S. 2568) and House (H.R.
5466) bills to establish the
trail include the following private property protection language: “the
United States shall not acquire for the trail any land or interest in land
outside the exterior boundary of any federally-managed area without the
consent of the owner of the land or interest in land.” As the
Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail is entirely water-based,
public access points are already in place, and visitor centers associated
with the Colonial National Historical Park in Jamestown and Yorktown will
likely be incorporated into the Comprehensive Management Plan for the trail,
land acquisition is not considered necessary for the John Smith Trail to
function.
Q: Did John Smith come by my house/town?
A: The NPS trail map shows the route of John Smith’s
historic 1607-1609 voyages of discovery of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. View the map (PDF file) to look
and
see if John Smith and his crew explored your community.
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