Baltimore

Baltimore, Maryland: The largest independent city in the United States, the city of Baltimore was a major part of early American history. From the days of the colonies through the immigration era and beyond, Baltimore was in the middle of the action. The good times also led to bad times as the city has also seen its share of violence between wars and riots.

The city began its life as the Port of Baltimore under orders of the Maryland General Assembly in 1706. The town was official founded in 1729 and named after Lord Baltimore and later incorporated in 1745. Much of the colonies early economy came from the shipping of tobacco and sugar.

Baltimore briefly became the capitol of the United States during the Revolutionary War. After fleeing the British in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress held session in the Henry Fite House from December of 1776 through February 1777.

War came knocking on Baltimore’s door again during the War of 1812. The British attacked Baltimore on the night of September 13, 1814. The United States fended off the British attack from Fort McHenry. It was during this battle that Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner which would later become our National Anthem.

The city boomed following the war. The newly constructed National Road, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad as well as the Port of Baltimore helped turn the city into a major shipping center. The increased commerce led to a population surge in the city.

During the Civil War, the state of Maryland had decided not to secede the Union. As Union soldiers were marching through Baltimore, a group of Confederate sympathizers attacked the troops causing the Baltimore riot of 1861 in which four soldiers and 12 civilians were killed.

Baltimore’s economy flourished until the depression in 1873. As a result of the economy, the railroad lowered its wages forcing the Great Railroad Strike of 1877. The governor of Maryland activated the National Guard to end the strike. The workers retaliated on the troops and the National Guard fired upon the crowd, killing ten and wounding twenty five. Order was restored a few days later when federal troops arrived.

Tragedy once again hit Baltimore in February 7, 1904 when a fire was reported in the John Hurst and Company Building. The fire spread quickly and by the afternoon, additional units were called in to help the fire department. Crews from as far as Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York helped to contain the fire. It took 30 hours to bring the fire under control, destroying 1,545 buildings in the process. The blaze left a trail of destruction of approximately 70 blocks.

The city worked to rebuild from the Great Fire of 1904. While they worked to rebuild the fire damaged areas, the city extended their boundaries outward by annexing the suburbs. The resulting annexations led to Baltimore becoming the largest city in the United States.

The dark cloud fell on the city once again following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr in Memphis in 1968. Baltimore’s black community began to riot following the murder. The riots were not brought under control for about a week, resulting in over $10 million dollars of damage to the city. Seven people lost their lives in the riots while over 5,000 were arrested.

Through the years, the Inner Harbor area began to become neglected. What was once the heart of the city, had been reduced to a bunch of abandoned buildings. Efforts to restore the Inner Harbor began in the late 1970’s and has resulted in the revitalization of the area. The Inner Harbor is now home to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, an retail and Entertainment complex called Harborplace as well as many other trade and commerce venues. Add the professional sporting venues of Camden Yards and Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is one largest tourist attractions in the state of Maryland.

Baltimore has not been able to shake its dark past as a dark cloud still hangs over the city It has a the third highest homicide rate in the nation. It is seven times higher then the national average. Efforts have been taken to reduce the number of crimes within the city as they have seen a 17% reduction in homicides under the new police commissioner.

Today Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and has a population of 637,418 which is ranked 20th in the nation.

Travel into the city can be achieved by plane, train or automobile. Baltimore-Washington International Airport is just ten miles outside of downtown. Over 20 million passengers travel through BWI each year making it the 24th busiest airport in North America. Amtrak is also a major source of transportation into the city. Penn Station is the 8th busiest station in the country with over a million riders each year. Finally many Interstates and highways travel through the city making travel by vehicle relatively easy, just expect heavy traffic during rush hours like any other large city.

Baltimore is home to two professional sports teams, the Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Ravens. Both teams have a state of the art facility at Camden Yards. The Orioles play at Oriole Park at Camden Yards while the Ravens play at M&T Bank Stadium right across the street.

The City of Baltimore has been through the good and the bad in its long history. It has triumphed over every setback it has encountered and has comeback better then ever each time. Only time will tell what will happen next in this great American city, but no matter what comes its way, Baltimore will persevere.

For photos of the city, visit my Baltimore photo gallery.