Baltimore is home to more than 200 neighborhoods, each with a distinct personality and experience.
Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is known as a beautiful focal point of the city. But are you familiar with the view from the Patterson Park Pagoda or the lasting legacy of Fell’s Point? Charm City and its many distinctive neighborhoods are ready to welcome you. To name a few:
Bromo Arts District
Named for the iconic Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower that anchors the district to the south, the Bromo Arts and Entertainment District has an artsy reputation that stems not only from the countless music venues, theaters, and galleries within its bounds but from the ample support and resources it provides to its resident makers. Together, these factors make Bromo the perfect place to immerse yourself in Baltimore’s art scene. Start your tour of Bromo with a hearty breakfast from the historic Lexington Market, and end it with a show at the Hippodrome or Everyman Theatre.
Canton & Brewers Hill
The heart of this waterfront neighborhood is a quaint village square rimmed with restaurants, pubs, and shops along O’Donnell Street. But wander off the square to the surrounding blocks and find the quintessential Baltimore, from the nearly-lost Baltimore art form of the painted screen to rows of classic marble stoops on traditional Baltimore brick and Formstone row houses. Canton Waterfront Park is a hot spot for events like WTMD’s First Thursdays, an outdoor summer concert series, and the annual Baltimore Seafood Festival.
Next door, Brewers Hill gets its name from the two landmark breweries it was once home to National Brewery and Gunther Brewing. You’ll know you’re there when you look up and spot the winking Mr. Boh illuminated at the top of the tower where National Bohemian (or Natty Boh) was once produced.
Druid Hill Park
Dating back to 1860, Druid Hill Park is a 745-acre urban oasis located in the heart of Baltimore. Today, it’s home to several attractions including a public pool, disc golf courses, tennis courts, The Maryland Zoo, and the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens. Friends of Druid Hill Park frequently schedule events to encourage the use and enjoyment of the grounds including a farmers market, guided walking and biking tours, night hikes, live entertainment, and outdoor fitness classes.
Fell’s Point
One of the oldest neighborhoods in Baltimore, this area was once a bustling shipbuilding port. Fell’s Point’s visage has remained largely unchanged since its founding—picturesque stone streets, waterfront restaurants, and cozy boutiques. Travel back in time with a stop at the oldest-standing residence in Baltimore City, the Robert Long House, which is open for tours by reservation. While you’re in the area, learn about Fell’s Point’s history at home to the first African American-owned shipyard in the country at the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park Museum. Then stop for a drink at the city’s oldest bar, The Horse You Came In On Saloon (rumored to be Edgar Allan Poe’s last stop before his mysterious death).
Hamilton-Lauraville is a booming network of neighborhoods along Harford Road in northeast Baltimore known for its stellar shopping and food scenes. In fact, it was named the best shopping district by Baltimore magazine in 2021. Find family-owned shops the Flower Cart and Lakein’s Jewelers, both of which have been in the neighborhood for decades, along with Koco’s Pub, the home to Mayor Brandon Scott’s favorite crab cakes. Hamilton-Lauraville also hosts a budding arts scene bookended by the Hamilton Arts Collective and The Strand, Baltimore’s only brick-and-mortar theater space to solely perform works written by female-identifying playwrights.
Once a 19th-century blue-collar mill town that has evolved into the epicenter of hipster Baltimore kitsch, Hampden’s main drag, aka “The Avenue,” is a great place to grab a bite, share a beer, check out some local shops and catch the overall vibe. Get a true feel for the neighborhood at annual festivals like Honfest in June and Hampdenfest in September.
Luxe experiences await you in Harbor East. Treat yourself to a massage at Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, a shopping spree at a specialty boutique, and dinner with a waterfront view at a high-end eatery. You’ll want to make a reservation ahead of your visit to Charleston, The Bygone and The Oceanaire Seafood Room. Love history? Be sure to stop at the President Street Station, where President Abraham Lincoln once stopped to avoid an assassination attempt.
Little Italy is a small but mighty community full of families that have lived here for generations, many of which own the plethora of delicious Italian restaurants on every block. To name a few: La Scala offers traditional fare and an indoor bocce ball court, Café Gia is known for its colorful mural and balcony, Aldo’s Ristorante and La Tavola are top picks for fine dining and family-owned favorite Sabatino’s has been around for generations. And make sure you leave room for a traditional Italian dessert from Vaccaro’s. The neighborhood also hosts a number of events throughout the year, like the Feasts of St. Anthony and St. Gabriel and the Madonnari Arts Festival in the fall.
Mount Vernon is an elegant neighborhood filled with grand old mansions that once belonged to Baltimore’s 19th-century industrialists. Today, the neighborhood is a National Landmark Historic District filled with museums, shops, restaurants, and boutique hotels. There is so much to see and do in this neighborhood, but we recommend a stop at the Washington Monument, the Walters Art Museum, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and the Maryland Center for History & Culture. Then stay for a performance from the world-renowned Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
Patterson Park is well known for its green space, large trees, paved walkways, historic battle sites, a lake, playgrounds, athletic fields, a swimming pool, an ice-skating rink, and its observation tower—the Instagram-worthy Patterson Park Pagoda. Head over to the Highlandtown Arts District to get an array of ethnic foods, art galleries, and shops with locally made goods.
While this area’s designation as an arts and entertainment district may still be in its infancy, the neighborhood has had a long history as a cultural center for the city’s African American community. During the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, Pennsylvania Avenue was the place to go to see the latest singers and musicians perform, most notably at the Royal Theater, which hosted entertainers like Cab Calloway, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, and James Brown. Unfortunately, the theater no longer exists, but a monument stands in its honor. Keep an eye on this neighborhood for big things to come soon—proposed ideas for include a museum devoted to jazz legend Cab Calloway and a museum for Black women’s history.
Pigtown was named in the late 1800s when cargo railcars from the Midwest would let loads of pigs out, which created a spectacle as they ran through the streets to their final destination. The neighborhood is now home to the annual Pigtown Festival which honors that heritage with the “Squeakness” pig races during a weekend full of food, drinks, and music. Here you’ll also find the B&O Railroad Museum, Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum, Mount Clare Museum House in Carroll Park, and Mobtown Ballroom.
Port Covington is the site of a master redevelopment plan started by Under Armour founder Kevin Plank that is transforming this formerly industrial port area into a hub of economic growth. Currently, it’s home to Sagamore Spirit Distillery, maker space City Garage, seafood restaurant Nick’s Fish House, and waterfront hangout South Point. Soon it will be filled with a food hall, hotel, and updated green space to hold food trucks, drink offerings, events, and more.
Home to artists, musicians, and makers, the Remington neighborhood has maintained a laid-back attitude while experiencing a boom in recent development. Hip hot spot R. House is a perfect place for families and friends to grab a bite. The 10-stall food hall boasts Baltimore chefs, each offering distinct cuisines from Japanese and Korean to Mexican and Italian. While you’re here, check out cake decorating classes at Chef Duff Goldman’s Charm City Cakes, pick up a new plant baby at B.Willow and shop for fresh duds at Get Shredded Vintage.
Known for its educational institutions, green spaces, and architecture, Roland Park is also home to an abundance of local shops and restaurants. Classic French bistro, Petit Louis, and Johnny’s, serving west coast cuisine, are both co-owned by James Beard award-nominated chef Cindy Wolf. Miss Shirley’s Café, one of two locations in Baltimore, offers southern-influenced breakfast and lunch and has been featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.”
Station North
Located in the middle of Baltimore between Johns Hopkins University and the Inner Harbor, Station North actually spans three neighborhoods—Charles North, Greenmount West, and Barclay. An eclectic blend of storied institutions and up-and-coming studios, it earned designation as the city’s first official Arts & Entertainment District in 2002. Since then, it’s continued to cement itself as the center of Baltimore’s creative community, attracting local makers and entertainers with its proximity to the Maryland Institute College of Art, affordable housing and studio spaces, professional development, advocacy tools, and more. Home to the landmark Penn Station, Station North is the perfect place to begin a weekend away in Baltimore.
Edmondson Village
Edmondson Village is located in Southwest Baltimore just outside of Downtown Baltimore. The tree-laden community features many churches, small businesses, shopping, and a recently renovated public library. It encompasses most of the Edmondson Avenue corridor in 21229.
The Edmondson Village area is made up of several smaller communities. Its communities include Hunting Ridge, Uplands, Rognel Heights, Wildwood, West Mulberry, Allendale, Edgewood, and Lower Edmondson Village. It is located north of Frederick Avenue, and south of the Gwynns Falls Parkway, Leakin and Gwynns Falls Parks. Communities in the area range from middle class to lower income. A notable shopping center opened in the neighborhood in 1947.
Baltimore is a diverse city located in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, and Baltimore City County Maryland.
It is also the county seat of Baltimore County. With a 2020 population of 578,658, it is the largest city in Maryland and the 29th largest city in the United States. Baltimore is currently declining at a rate of -0.61% annually and its population has decreased by -3.92% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 602,274 in 2020. Spanning over 92 miles, Baltimore has a population density of 7,149 people per square mile.
The average household income in Baltimore is $74,246 with a poverty rate of 20.03%. The median rental costs in recent years come to $1,094 per month, and the median house value is $167,300. The median age in Baltimore is 35.4 years, 34.1 years for males, and 36.6 years for females.
According to 2016 data, using public transportation to get to work, will run you on average 32 minutes. A vast majority of Baltimore City workers are employees in educational services, and the median household income is $47K.
Baltimore is located in central Maryland along the Patapsco River. It is an independent city that is also called Baltimore City. The population of Baltimore is believed to have risen to 622,000, a very slight but promising increase for the city, which has lost more than one-third of its population in the last sixty years.
This is the first time Baltimore’s population has grown since it reached a peak of 949,700 in 1950. Downtown Baltimore and surrounding areas have seen improvement as more young professionals and immigrants move to the region. There is also growing international migration as well as fewer people leaving Baltimore. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced in December 2011 that she would make it her goal to increase Baltimore’s population by “10,000 families” within ten years.
In 2018, the numbers didn’t seem to be cooperating with her goal – the population of Baltimore is currently estimated to be at 611,648. This drop indicates a loss of 1.5% of the city population.
The Baltimore metropolitan area is much larger, however, with a population estimated at 6.7 million. This makes it the 20th largest metro area in the country.
Since 2015, when Baltimore saw civil unrest after the death of Freddie Gray from injuries he suffered in police custody, the city has experienced annual declines in population. Welcoming new people should be a top policy priority of the city, said Seema Iyer, who oversees the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance at the University of Baltimore’s Jacob France Institute. “We need that message to be very clear in the leadership — that we want people to move into the city of Baltimore, that we want them to be part of the city,” Iyer said, adding that leaders must work to ensure that there is enough affordable housing and a good transit system.
| Race and Hispanic Origin – BASED ON 7/1/2021 DATA | |
|---|---|
| White alone, percent |
29.7% |
| Black or African American alone, percent(a) |
62.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent(a) |
0.3% |
| Asian alone, percent(a) |
2.5% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent(a) |
0.0% |
| Two or More Races, percent |
3.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino, percent(b) |
5.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent |
27.3% |
| Fact Notes | |
Baltimore is now a major seaport with ship-repair facilities and a highly diversified economy. The port opens to the sea through the Chesapeake Bay and the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and is a major automobile-shipping point.
Baltimore’s proximity to Washington D.C. has led to years of federal investment. As the economy continues to recover, employment sectors such as construction, manufacturing, trade, transportation, and financial activities are showing the fastest growth, according to the BLS.
With easy access to highways, port, rail, and air travel, Baltimore City is an attractive home to a number of major employers. Financial and professional services, health and bioscience technology, culture and tourism, information and creative services, logistics, and advanced manufacturing are major industries in the area. City residents enjoy easier access and shorter commutes to jobs at prestigious universities and hospital systems as well as the global headquarters of some of America’s most well-known retail brands.
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The mayor’s office is designing the #OneBaltimore initiative to be a public-private partnership, said Howard Libit, director of strategic planning and policy. It’s trying to bring in the private sector, religious groups, community organizations, and philanthropists, he said.
IMPROVEMENTS
In 2015, a Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance report for Rawlings-Blake’s “Grow Baltimore” initiative identified key factors that make people want to leave the city.
They were: “daily stressors such as litter, parking, property crime, and vacant housing; high property taxes and insurance rates; poor performing public schools and lack of information about school choice; and few market-rate housing choices for new retirees.”
Since 2015, violence has spiked in the city, with more than 300 homicides each year.
Census demographers base the annual population estimates on births, deaths, and migration data. These yearly estimates are revised and updated over time. A comprehensive count of every U.S. resident takes place every 10 years and is currently underway.
The population counts help determine how much federal money Maryland’s counties and Baltimore City receive for health care, water and sewer, housing, and other programs.
In a statement Thursday, Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young didn’t speak to the possible reasons for population decline, but said the numbers “are extremely important and help underscore the critical need to get the 2020 Census count as complete and accurate as possible.”
“I have made boosting Baltimore’s completion rate for the 2020 Census a top priority for my administration,” the Democrat said. “We can’t afford to undercount our population.”
Overall, Maryland’s population increased by 0.2% over the year, standing at 6,045,680 residents in 2019, according to the new census estimates.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Announces Enhancements to Baltimore Sister Cities Program
Program to become a standalone non-profit while seeking to expand to new and emerging regions around the world
BALTIMORE, Md. (December 7, 2015)—Today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced plans to restructure the Baltimore Sister Cities Program (BSCP), aiming to expand the program’s focus on developing significant opportunities for economic partnerships, more cultural and educational exchanges, and health and environmental initiatives.
“The new structure of the Baltimore Sister Cities Program will further my initiative to increase Baltimore City’s economy through international trade and business as well as broadening awareness of our exceptional educational and arts and cultural institutions,” Mayor Rawlings-Blake said. “By growing Baltimore’s economy we will build stronger neighborhoods and create a thriving environment for international visitors and new businesses.”
The Mayor’s Office of Economic and Neighborhood Development established a working group in 2014 to research and recommend changes to the program. The group was comprised of representatives from the Office of the Mayor, Maryland Sister States Program, Baltimore Development Corporation, Baltimore Sister City committees, the State of Maryland’s Office of the Secretary of the State, the local business community, and Baltimore City Public Schools. The following outlines the recommended next steps:
• The BSCP is currently a series of committees, reporting directly to the Office of the Mayor. The program will be restructured as an independent 501(c)(3) corporation to be named Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. (‘BSC, Inc.’). This will provide greater stability and consistency during administration transitions.
• The independent 501(c)(3) status will clarify the tax status of monetary contributions to the program. This will simplify the financial administration of the program; a benefit to both BSC, Inc. and the City of Baltimore. • The new organization will have its own officers, Board of Directors, and Executive Committee. The Office of the Mayor’s involvement will exist through Board presence, general operating assistance, and high-level supporting relationships.
• BSC, Inc. will partner internally (amongst the individual sister city committees) and with other organizations to generate a consistent message while maximizing outreach, making the program stronger and more valuable to Baltimore City.
• Goals will be established, placing a stronger emphasis on economic development with the objective to produce measurable outcomes. Each committee will be required to report annually on program successes in the areas of arts and culture, education, health/medical, tourism, and business and community engagement.
The Baltimore Sister Cities Program was founded in 1973 by Mayor William Donald Schaefer. The program initially sought to build on the accomplishments of Sister Cities International, which was created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956. Eisenhower’s vision was an organization that could be the hub of peace and prosperity by creating bonds between people from different cities around the world.
As time has changed and reshaped our world, now is the opportune time to make changes to the BSCP, gaining more opportunities to connect internationally through cultural, economic, and educational experiences, while providing invaluable global opportunities for Baltimore City.
Current sister cities include Kawasaki, Japan (active since 1979); Piraeus, Greece (active since 1982); Luxor & Alexandria, Egypt (active since 1982/1995 and now combined into one committee); and Xiamen, China (active since 1985). Sister cities are currently selected based on potential trade and economic relationships, similar demographic connections, shared geographic/sector challenges, and experiences such as student exchange programs.
Baltimore has a strong history and promising future with many opportunities to build upon its role as a global economic city. Baltimore is committed to being a great international partner. In 2015 alone, the City of Baltimore welcomed Boy and Girls Scouts and accepted an artist’s application for Light City from Kawasaki, Japan, as well as sponsored a business delegation exchange from Xiamen, China. With the restructuring of the BSCP, the program can be celebrated for its rich 42-year history and move forward as an impactful piece of Baltimore’s economic development plan.
To see a full copy of the report, go to baltimoresistercities.org. For information on the program, contact bscp@baltimorecity.gov.
Mayor Rawlings-Blake Announces Initiative to Engage Residents in Vacant Lot Revitalization
Power in Dirt is the City’s first comprehensive plan to specifically address vacant lots by engaging residents and organizations in their sustainable revitalization. Power in Dirt recognizes and builds from existing, successful efforts in the city to revitalize vacant lots. Currently, there are over 150 registered community-managed open spaces in Baltimore. The community-managed open spaces are the home for public art, gardening, or neighborhood parks.
Power in Dirt’s strength comes from its being a robust public-private partnership. Partner organizations include Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition, Bon Secours Foundation, Park Heights Renaissance, Parks and People Foundation, Blue Water Baltimore, Civic Works, and Baltimore Green Space. These organizations are supported by a number of city agencies: The Department of Housing and Community Development, the Department of Public Works, the Department of Recreation and Parks, and the Planning Department.
| (Re)Building a Sustainable Baltimore |
| GROWING GREEN INITIATIVE |
WASTE TO WEALTH |
| Strategy to promote the transformation of Cityvacant lots into green spaces that will provide economic, social, and environmental benefits to our neighborhoods. |
Building Baltimore’s economy and transforming our communities by actively managing the City waste streams to create jobs and green products for our citizens. |
Rawlings-Blake’s food policy initiatives include urban farming and programs dedicated to providing healthy food access in food deserts.
NOVELTIES
Baltimore is a major city in Maryland with a long history as an essential seaport– Fort McHenry. It is the birthplace of the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and it sits at the mouth of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
Today, this harbor area offers shops, upscale crab shacks, and attractions like the Civil War-era warship, the USS Constellation, and the National Aquarium, showcasing thousands of marine creatures.
Baltimore City is one of the largest metropolitan cities in the country with some of the top schools such as Western School of Technology & Environmental Science and Summit Park Elementary School.
Outside of its spectacular Inner Harbor, you can find the Baltimore National Zoo, Baltimore Museum of Art, The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, American Visionary Art Museum, Pimlico Race Tracks, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, Druidhill Park, and the Forest Park Golf Course.
Also, the City encompasses the Mt. Pleasant Golf Course, a favorite landmark that is the furthest northern point from the Inner Harbor.
Furthest South – Brooklyn
Furthest East – Hopkins Bayview
Furthest West – Forrest Park Golf Course
See the complete report at City Data.com
Pre-Colonial History
George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, applied to Charles I for a royal charter for what was to become the Province of Maryland.
The colony was named in honor of Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of King Charles I. Led by Leonard Calvert, Cecil Calvert’s younger brother, the first settlers departed from Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, on November 22, 1633 aboard two small ships, the Ark and the Dove. Their landing on March 25, 1634 at St. Clement’s Island in southern Maryland, is commemorated by the state each year on that date as Maryland Day. This was the site of the first Catholic mass in the Colonies, with Father Andrew White leading the service. The first group of colonists consisted of 17 gentlemen and their wives, and about two hundred others, mostly indentured servants who could work off their passage.
After purchasing land from the Yaocomico Indians and establishing the town of St. Mary’s, Leonard [Calvert}, per his brother’s instructions, attempted to govern the country under feudalistic precepts. Meeting resistance, in February 1635, he summoned a colonial assembly. In 1638, the Assembly forced him to govern according to the laws of England. The right to initiate legislation passed to the assembly.
In 1638, Calvert seized a trading post in Kent Island established by the Virginian William Claiborne. In 1644, Claiborne led an uprising of Maryland Protestants. Calvert was forced to flee to Virginia, but he returned at the head of an armed force in 1646 and reasserted proprietary rule.
Maryland soon became one of the few predominantly Catholic regions among the English colonies in North America. Maryland was also one of the key destinations where the government sent tens of thousands of English convicts punished by sentences of transportation. Such punishment persisted until the Revolutionary War.
The founders designed the city plan of the colonial capital, St. Mary’s City, to reflect their worldview. At the center of the city was the home of the mayor of St. Mary’s City. From that point, streets were laid out that created two triangles. Located at two points of the triangle extending to the west were the first Maryland statehouse and a jail. Extending to the north of the mayor’s home, the remaining two points of the second triangle were defined by a Catholic church and a school. The design of the city was a literal separation of church and state that reinforced the importance of religious freedom. The largest site of the original Maryland colony, St. Mary’s City was the seat of the colonial government until 1708.
Because Anglicanism had become the official religion in Virginia, a band of Puritans in 1642 left for Maryland; they founded Providence (now called Annapolis). In 1650, the Puritans revolted against the proprietary government. They set up a new government prohibiting both Catholicism and Anglicanism. In March 1655, the 2nd Lord Baltimore sent an army under Governor William Stone to put down this revolt. Near Annapolis, his Roman Catholic army was decisively defeated by a Puritan army in the Battle of the Severn. The Puritan revolt lasted until 1658, when the Calvert family regained control and re-enacted the Toleration Act. The Puritan revolutionary government persecuted Maryland Catholics during its reign. Mobs burned down all the original Catholic churches of southern Maryland. In 1708, the seat of government was moved to Providence, renamed Annapolis in honor of Queen Anne. St. Mary’s City is now an archaeological site, with a small tourist center. Just as the city plan for St. Mary’s City reflected the ideals of the founders, the city plan of Annapolis reflected those in power at the turn of the 18th century. The plan of Annapolis extends from two circles at the center of the city – one including the State House and the other the Anglican St. Anne’s Church (now Episcopal). The plan reflected a stronger relationship between church and state, and a colonial government more closely aligned with the Protestant church.
Tobacco was the main export crop in the colonial era; it involved a great deal of hand labor, usually done by slaves, the original royal charter granted Maryland the Potomac River and territory northward to the fortieth parallel. This was found to be a problem, as the northern boundary would have put Philadelphia, the major city in Pennsylvania, within Maryland. The Calvert family, which controlled Maryland, and the Penn family, which controlled Pennsylvania, decided in 1750 to engage two surveyors, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, to establish a boundary. They surveyed what became known as the Mason–Dixon Line, which became the boundary between the two colonies. The crests of the Penn family and of the Calvert family were put at the Mason–Dixon line to mark it. Later the Mason–Dixon line was used as a boundary between free and slave states under the Missouri Compromise of 1820.
From 1763 to 1767, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon surveyed Maryland’s northern boundary line with Pennsylvania. In 1791, Maryland ceded land to form the District of Columbia.
Maryland’s Composition
Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Western Shore embrace the Chesapeake Bay, and the many estuaries and rivers create one of the longest waterfronts of any state. The Bay produces more seafood—oysters, crabs, clams, finfish—than any comparable body of water. Since the 1950s, fish stocks have declined due to increased residential and commercial development in the area and the attendant amount of nutrients, sediment, and toxic substances polluting the water. In 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Chesapeake Bay Restoration and Protection Executive Order that called on the federal government “to restore and protect the nation’s largest estuary and its watershed.”
Maryland Wars
1812 – The War of 1812 was a 32-month military conflict between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, its North American colonies, and its Indian allies.
The United States declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions brought about by Britain’s continuing war with France, the impressment of American merchant sailors into the Royal Navy, British support of American Indian tribes against American expansion, outrage over insults to national honor after humiliations on the high seas, and possible American interest in annexing British North American territory (part of modern-day Canada) which had been denied to them in the settlement ending the American Revolutionary War.
During the War of 1812, the British conducted raids against cities along the Chesapeake Bay, up to and including Havre de Grace. There were also two notable battles that occurred in the state. The first was the Battle of Bladensburg, which occurred on August 24, 1814, just outside the national capital, Washington, D.C. The militiamen defending the city were routed and retreated in confusion through the streets of the city. After overrunning the confused American defenders at Bladensburg, the British took Washington, D.C. They burned and looted major public buildings, forcing President James Madison to flee to Brookeville, Maryland.
1870–1875 – Battle of North Point Monument (dedicated 1815), ca. 1870–1875, which appears on both the flag and the seal of Baltimore, Maryland The British marched next to Baltimore, where they hoped to strike a knockout blow against the demoralized Americans. Baltimore was not only a busy port but the British thought it harbored many of the privateers who were despoiling British ships. The city’s defenses were under the command of Major General Samuel Smith, an officer of Maryland militia and a United States senator. Baltimore had been well fortified with excellent supplies and some 15,000 troops. Maryland militia fought a determined delaying action at the Battle of North Point, during which a Maryland militia marksman shot and killed the British commander, general Robert Ross. The battle bought enough time for Baltimore’s defenses to be strengthened.
Battle of Bladensburg
On August 24th, 1814, Cockburn fought a series of engagements on the Patuxent River against Commodore Joshua Barney’s flotilla of gunboats and armed, shallow-draft barges. Shortly before Barney was forced to scuttle his vessels, Major General Robert Ross landed an expeditionary force of British soldiers and marines in Benedict (Charles County) and marched in the direction of Washington.
On August 24, 1814, American troops defending the capital under Brigadier General William Winder were defeated by the British at the Battle of Bladensburg (Prince George’s County), which allowed the capture and burning of Washington, D.C.
Battle of Baltimore
The British then sailed up the Chesapeake to Baltimore. There a land invasion was halted on September 12, 1814, at the Battle of North Point, east of Baltimore City in Dundalk. By sea, the harbor mouth was protected by Fort McHenry, which sustained a heavy bombardment from the British Navy from September 13 through the morning of the 14th.
Upon seeing that the American flag still flew over the fort on September 14th, native Maryland lawyer Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the poem “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which later became the national anthem of the United States. Following their defeat, the British withdrew from the Chesapeake Bay.
