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| Annapolis, state capitol of Maryland |
In 1632, King Charles I granted a royal Charter for Maryland to Cecil Calvert, Lord Baltimore. It is believed that Lord Baltimore named Maryland after Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I. In 1634, English colonists, many of whom were Roman Catholic, began to settle in Maryland. Since its founding, Maryland has played a significant role in American history.
In 1788, Maryland was the 7th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. In the 1760s, the Mason-Dixon line was created to settle a dispute between the Penn and Calvert families. In addition to marking the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland, the Mason-Dixon Line became the boundary between the North and the South.
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| The Burnside Bridge at Antietam Battlefield |
During the War of 1812, the British attempted to capture Baltimore in 1814. The bombardment of Fort McHenry inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner." During the Civil War, 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862.
Maryland's Eastern Shore and Western Shore embrace the Chesapeake Bay, one of our nation's greatest treasures. The Bay provides a livelihood for many Maryland watermen who harvest oysters, crabs, clams, and fin fish. Maryland has a diverse agricultural base, including: chickens, dairy products, eggs, and soybeans. Maryland also produces stone, coal, sand, gravel, cement, and clay.
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| Flag raising at Fort McHenry |
Maryland has long been known as the "Free State" and its capital is Annapolis, home of the U.S. Naval Academy.
Among the popular attractions in Maryland are the Fort McHenry National Monument; Harpers Ferry and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Parks; Antietam National Battlefield; National Aquarium, USS Constellation, and Maryland Science Center at Baltimore's Inner Harbor; Historic St. Mary's City; Jefferson Patterson Historical Park and Museum at St. Leonard; U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis; Goddard Space Flight Center at Greenbelt; Assateague Island National Park Seashore; Ocean City beach resort; Deep Creek Lake; the Catoctin Mountains; and Fort Frederick, and Piscataway parks.
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