Maryland Public Television for Earth Day: Chesapeake & Delaware Canal – Gateway to the World

This is a little-known but fascinating story of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, a critically-important 14-mile long trade route used extensively by international shipping. It’s known as “Baltimore’s back door” because it’s a money-saving shortcut between the port of Baltimore and points north via the Atlantic Ocean. The Canal’s construction in the early 1800’s was a major catalyst to Baltimore’s booming growth as a major inland port. Today, it is a nautical gateway to Baltimore and carries more than 40% of all trade traffic into the port. This program shares the canal’s history and impact to the area through the stories of ship pilots, historians, lock operators, re-enactors, engineers, authors and more.