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Civil Rights Journey on the Eastern Shore A visit to Maryland’s Eastern Shore, once home to great Marylanders such as Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, provides a unique view of the civil rights movement. After crossing the Chesapeake Bay, begin your Eastern Shore civil rights sojourn with a look at segregated schooling in Kent County at the 1890 African American Schoolhouse Museum. In addition to an interpretive marker detailing the history of this segregated site[...]

At the Crossroads of Conflict In the spring of 1861, as the Civil War broke out and divided the nation, Maryland braced itself for battle. Living near the Potomac River, the conflict’s pivotal border between North and South, Maryland’s citizens would witness the brutality of the war firsthand. The long clash engulfed homes, towns and livelihoods, leaving its mark here and in the area’s many battlefields. Local citizens, though divided by conviction, were united by[...]

At the crossroads of conflict, the long war engulfed homes and livelihoods, leaving its mark throughout the region's cities and towns. Local citizens, though divided by conviction, were united by compassion. Discover these stories and more, while exploring local art, culture, dining, and shopping in Maryland's Civil War cities and towns. Baltimore Barnesville Boonsboro Brookeville Brunswick Buckeystown Clear Spring Cumberland Emmitsburg Frederick Funkstown Hagerstown Hancock Manchester Middletown Mount Airy New Market Oakland Poolesville Rockville Sharpsburg[...]

A Timeline of Frederick Douglass’s Life in Maryland and Beyond February 1818 - Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey born at Holme Hill Farm near Easton. August 1824 - Sent to live on Lloyd Plantation, Wye River, at the home of his master, Aaron Anthony. February 1825 - Mother visits him for the last time before her death late in 1825 or early in 1826. March 1826 - Sent to live with Hugh Auld family in the[...]

Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman—Underground Railroad conductor, abolitionist, Civil War spy and nurse, suffragist, and humanitarian. Born into slavery in early 1822 in Dorchester County, Maryland, Tubman rose above horrific childhood adversity to emerge with a will of steel. Owing her success to unique survival techniques honed in the forests, fields and marshes of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Tubman transcended victimization to pursue lifelong dreams of freedom, equality, and justice. Named Araminta, or “Minty,” by her parents[...]

The use of horses principally fell into two categories—their horsepower was needed for work, and for war; or for enjoyment in all types of sporting events, mostly racing. Horses pulled fire engines, and one named Goliath, a giant Percheron, was celebrated as the “hero” of the Great Baltimore Fire in 1904. Baltimore started its Mounted Police Unit in 1888, considered the oldest in the country. Arabbers, who are street vendors selling fruit and vegetables and[...]

Home to a large population of free and enslaved Blacks, and sympathetic whites, Underground Railroad support grew in Maryland in the years leading to emancipation. Many of the nation’s best-known Underground Railroad leaders emerged in this environment. These agents and untold more guided Underground Railroad passengers to safety and fought for their freedom. Explore their stories at The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History and Culture and the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum and at the[...]

1. Great Falls of the Potomac Overlook These raging rapids of the Potomac are a massive stretch of whitewater and several waterfalls that drop a total of 76 feet and challenge the best paddlers in the world. Just off the towpath, the Great Falls of the Potomac Overlook offers a truly inspiring vista, and a great place to begin your C&O Canal adventure from the east. 2. Antietam National Battlefield Located in the Canal Town[...]

Western Maryland Western Maryland is a great place for outdoor adventures. You can climb Maryland's highest mountain, swim in numerous lakes, hike the Appalachian Trail, brave white-water rapids or enjoy all kinds of winter sports from skiing to ice fishing. The three counties of Western Maryland, where fall foliage arrives first and winter usually stays the longest, were Maryland's last frontier. One of the most important events in Western Maryland in the early 1800s was[...]