Maryland, The Old Line State

Did you know …

 King Charles I of England gave George Calvert the land north of the Potomac River in 1632. This land had originally been given to the Virginia colony. People of Catholic faith were mistreated in England. George wanted to begin a community where Catholics could worship freely.

Named after a Queen

King Charles I was married to Queen Henrietta Maria. Maryland was named after his wife. In 1634, it became our fourth colony.

Francis Scott Key’s famous poem

Francis Scott Key witnessed the British attacking Fort McHenry in 1814. This fort protected the important city of Baltimore, Maryland. When the American flag still flew the next morning, Francis knew the British hadn’t won. He wrote the famous poem, “The Star Spangled Banner,” which became our National Anthem.

Maryland becomes a state

After the Revolutionary War ended, Maryland became a state on April 28, 1788. The capital is Annapolis.

More interesting facts about Maryland

Near Hancock, Maryland, the state is only a mile wide. This makes Maryland our narrowest state.

– Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

“13 Originals: Founding the American Colonies,” The Time Page, 2013/01/04 http://www.timepage.org/spl/13colony.html.

Cheney, Lynne. Our 50 States: A Family Adventure Across America, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2006.

Gutman, Bill. The Look-It-Up Book of the 50 States, Random House, 2002.