A City Full of American Beginnings
St. Mary’s City at the southernmost end of Maryland’s western shore is a place bursting with some of America’s greatest “firsts”. Founded in 1634 by a group of English settlers the city is known to be the birthplace of religious tolerance, the first place in America where a woman demanded the right to vote, it is the first official city in the history of Maryland, it was home to first printer in the southern colonies of America and it was the first successful proprietary colony in the United States, meaning that the charter to the land and the city was in private ownership, but the colony itself prospered.
So why haven’t many people heard of this amazing place? It is because an uprising against Lord Baltimore, the chartered owner of the colony, resulted in a set of royally appointed governors who relocated the capital to Annapolis. This was actually a fortunate event for historians and archaeologists as it left much of the cities’ original design and planning untouched and undisturbed from the seventeenth century.
Today, St. Mary’s City is a National Historic Landmark and home to Historic St. Mary’s City, a museum and archaeological excavation site. With over five million artifacts currently cataloged the museum and grounds are an ideal spot for individuals and families interested in colonial America, as well as early Maryland, to plan a visit.
Costumed interpreters roam the city, recreating and telling the stories of the colony and life in early America. There are many hands-on displays and activities, special events and reconstructed buildings and scenes from St. Mary’s City’s past. Visitors can tour the State House, a working colonial farm and tobacco plantation, a supplies shop and even a Native American settlement that teaches about interactions and events between settlers and Maryland’s first residents. Visitors will also meet sailors and talk about the tobacco trade aboard the “Maryland Dove,” a replica of a square-rigged ship of the day.
Historic St. Mary’s City is not just a traveler’s destination it is also a working field school for historians and archaeologists, where excavations are constantly taking place and new discoveries being made. For example, excavations have unearthed the original print shop belonging to William Nuthead of Virginia who was forced to leave and relocate in St. Mary’s City where the general sense of open-minded acceptance allowed him to practice a trade forbidden in many colonies. A living history exhibit and reconstruction of the shop is planned for this significant discovery.
The entire museum is open for visitors from March through November, with many special events taking place throughout the year.
Fort McHenry – Home of our National Anthem
Early military installations and defenses of the United States began to appear prior to, during, and after the Revolutionary War. Many of these structures were built along waterways and near ports and port cities as a means to defend the country from any new attack. Many defense structures were built with both land and sea defense in mind. A great example of early American defense design exists at the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore, Maryland.
A Brave Spirit and American Pioneer
Tiny in stature, Clara Barton didn’t let much stop her from her personal mission. A nurse, teacher and well-known humanitarian, Barton was also the founder of the American Red Cross. Becoming interested in nursing as a young child when her brother fell and was gravely injured, Clara nursed him for over two years until he had recovered.
Antietam is a Battle Beyond Imagination
The Antietam National Battlefield near Sharpsburg, Maryland marks the spot of the first battle of the American Civil War to take place on northern, or Union, soil. But it is also a battle and a place known for the overwhelming number of casualties that occurred. The Battle of Antietam (or the Battle of Sharpsburg to Confederate soldiers) is known as the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, claiming over 23,000 lives.
Humble Home of Edgar Allan Poe
On a quiet city street sits a remarkably small brick house. There is nothing about it that would indicate the horrific and mysterious stories that came to life inside its four walls. But, in the 1830s the quaint house on the corner of
