The federal government stored weapons at Harpers Ferry. John Brown and 18 of his supporters captured the storage center. However, federal troops recaptured it the next day. Brown was later hanged. But his name was made famous forever by American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson wrote that although Brown had died, his spirit would march on.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882: A Great 19th Century Writer and Philosopher
Harpers Ferry became a national historical park in 1944. Today the park welcomes visitors who come to learn about life along the Potomac River.
It's a Bird...
Bird-watching is a favorite activity in the park, where more than 170 bird species have been identified. Great blue herons populate a part of the historic area, and Canada geese can be seen along the edges of the Shenandoah Canal. The park also has pileated woodpeckers and Baltimore orioles.
Most of the time we sail smoothly down the Potomac. But sometimes the river is wild. George Washington understood that the Potomac was difficult to travel on, even for much bigger boats than the canoe. He proposed a waterway to avoid dangerous areas along the Potomac. But he did not live to see it built. Washington died in 1799. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was built more than 25 years later.
Over the years, continued flooding from the Potomac damaged the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. Today it no longer carries goods. Instead, the C&O Canal is a national park. Kayaks and barges float on the waterway, passing through locks. These devices close off the canal and use special gates to raise or lower the boats. They do this by raising or lowering the water level.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25