America at 250: Maryland’s Chesapeake Heritage
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, Maryland reflects a history shaped by its First Peoples, colonial beginnings, and a lasting connection to the Chesapeake Bay.
Each Friday, we celebrate America’s 250th by exploring one state or territory at a time, uncovering the history, crafts, and Semiquincentennial events that help tell the nation’s story.
A Brief History of the Old Line State
There is evidence that Maryland has been occupied since the end of the last Ice Age, about 10,000 B.C. The first inhabitants were Paleoindian hunter-gatherers who followed migrating game across a changing landscape. As the climate warmed during the Archaic period, people adapted to Maryland's forests, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay, taking advantage of the region's abundant plant and animal resources.
By about 1000 B.C., during the Woodland period, communities became increasingly settled as pottery, horticulture, and permanent villages developed. Oysters, fish, and other resources from the Chesapeake Bay supported growing populations, while agriculture supplemented hunting and gathering. Shell middens (prehistoric kitchen trash) found throughout Maryland today reflect thousands of years of continuous Indigenous occupation.
By the time English explorer John Smith entered the Chesapeake Bay in 1608, Maryland was home to numerous Indigenous nations representing both Algonquian- and Iroquoian-speaking peoples. Among them were the Piscataway, Nanticoke, and Tockwogh (Algonquian), as well as the Susquehannock Confederacy (Iroquoian), a powerful alliance of nearly 20 affiliated tribes that controlled much of the region's fur trade and maintained extensive trade relationships with neighboring Indigenous nations and early European settlers. The Tuscarora, another Iroquoian-speaking people, later migrated into the region following conflicts in the Carolinas. Together, these nations shaped Maryland's cultural and economic landscape for thousands of years before permanent English settlement.
When English explorer John Smith explored the Chesapeake Bay in 1608, he created some of the earliest known maps of the region. George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, sought a royal charter for the Colony of Maryland, but it was granted after his death. His son, Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, received the charter in 1632. The flag of Maryland bears the coats of arms of the Calvert (black and gold) and Crossland (red and white) families. George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, applied for the royal charter to establish the colony of Maryland. His mother was an heiress to the Crossland family.
The first settlers arrived in the colony in 1634. As the colony grew, its population was largely Catholic, creating tension with neighboring Virginia, a Protestant colony.
The Calvert family retained control of Maryland, and, in 1750, they, along with the Penn family of Pennsylvania, hired surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon to establish the boundary between the two colonies: the Mason-Dixon Line.
The flag of Maryland bears the coats of arms of the Calvert (black and gold) and Crossland (red and white) families. George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, applied for the royal charter to establish the colony of Maryland. His mother was an heiress to the Crossland family.
Despite the colony's initial reluctance to support independence from Great Britain, Maryland's soldiers distinguished themselves with heroic service in the Revolutionary War. The nickname "The Old Line State" is said to have originated with George Washington's praise for the Maryland Line regiments.
Baltimore quickly became one of the most important ports in the early American republic, thanks to its strategic location on the Chesapeake Bay. This made Maryland a strategic location in the major wars of the 19th century. In the War of 1812, British forces attempted to capture Baltimore and conducted raids along the bay. The actions culminated in the 1814 bombardment of Fort McHenry that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner." Baltimore's significance to the nation was also clear in peacetime, as the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad began operating in 1830, becoming the nation's first common-carrier railroad.
Leading up to the Civil War, Maryland held divided loyalties over the issue of slavery. Although the state did not secede from the Union, slavery was legal. Prominent Black abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman were born into slavery in Maryland. By 1860, about half of the African American population of the state was enslaved. As a border state, Maryland witnessed significant military activity, including the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest single day in American military history and a turning point that helped pave the way for the Emancipation Proclamation.
As with the rest of the nation, the late 19th and 20th centuries were a time of growth, rebuilding, and progress. Expanding railroads, manufacturing, shipbuilding, and military installations strengthened the state's economy, while World War I brought new federal investment and the expansion of military facilities. Today, Maryland remains central to the nation's political, military, scientific, and cultural life, reflecting a history that spans from the first Indigenous settlements to the seat of the federal government just beyond its borders.
Honoring the 250th: Maryland's Role in America's Celebration
Maryland is observing America's Semiquincentennial through statewide initiatives, local programming, and educational outreach coordinated by the Maryland 250 Commission. Historical societies, museums, schools, and cultural organizations across the state are working together to explore Maryland's role in the nation's story, from its Indigenous heritage and colonial beginnings to its military history, maritime traditions, and modern innovations.
"Maryland's Story is America's Story," declares the commission. The state's status as one of the original 13 colonies, its location along the Chesapeake Bay, and its position between the North and South made it a key player in pivotal events in American history and a microcosm of the nation. With this in mind, the Maryland 250 Commission is partnering with national initiatives like 200 Years of American Rail, America's Potluck, Military250, and America's Tapestry.
Material culture is an important part of these celebrations. Museum collections preserve artifacts from notable local figures and institutions as well as major historical events and the everyday lives of ordinary citizens who witnessed, participated in, or simply lived through them.
Across the state, Maryland's America250 initiatives emphasize participation as much as preservation, encouraging communities to reflect on the people, places, and objects that define their local histories.
Collecting Maryland
From the earliest inhabitants to today's tourists, one of Maryland's greatest attractions is its famous seafood. Crab and oyster fishing have gone from subsistence to major industries over the course of the state's history. They are also the basis for some of Maryland's best collectibles, including fishing tools, food packaging, and restaurant signs.
Crabs and oysters even show up on the state's ceramics. A pitcher attributed to Baltimore pottery E. & W. Bennett features relief fish, shellfish, crabs, and coral.
And you can't have a seafood dinner without seasoning! Maryland is home to the McCormick Company, whose products include the iconic Old Bay seasoning as well as more everyday spices. Collectors are looking for vintage advertising, tins, and bottles.
Maryland's coast isn't just for seafood. Chesapeake Bay is an important location for shipping and travel, which helped spur the creation of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to connect it to the rest of the nation. As America's oldest common-carrier railroad, B&O memorabilia is especially desirable among collectors, whether it's model trains, antique lanterns, or the china place settings used by passengers.
Maryland is also synonymous with waterfowl decoys, one of the state's most celebrated folk art traditions. Along the Chesapeake Bay, skilled carvers transformed functional hunting decoys into works of art. The Ward brothers of Crisfield—Lem and Steve Ward—helped elevate decoy carving to an internationally recognized art form, and their handcrafted birds remain among the most sought-after American decoys. Contemporary Maryland carvers continue the tradition, ensuring the Chesapeake's waterfowl heritage remains alive for both hunters and collectors.
Textile collectors prize Baltimore Album quilts, one of the most distinctive forms of American quilting. Produced primarily during the 1840s and 1850s, these elaborately appliquéd quilts feature floral motifs, patriotic symbols, and inscribed blocks created by family members and friends. Today, they remain icons of American decorative arts and among the nation's most recognizable regional quilt traditions.
Maryland's collecting heritage also includes one of its most recognizable hometown brands. Vintage National Bohemian Beer—better known as "Natty Boh"—inspired a wide range of breweriana, including advertising signs, serving trays, tap handles, bottles, and promotional items. The company's one-eyed mascot, Mr. Boh, has become an enduring symbol of Baltimore. Together with seafood memorabilia, railroad artifacts, Maryland pottery, and Baltimore Album quilts, these collectibles reflect the industries and traditions that continue to define the Old Line State.
Looking Ahead: Maryland’s America 250 Calendar Highlights
July 4, 2026 — Statewide America 250 Celebrations
Communities across Maryland will mark Independence Day with enhanced programming, including public readings of the Declaration of Independence, historical reenactments, and local Semiquincentennial festivals.
July 4, 2026 — Simultaneous Reading of the Declaration of Independence
A coordinated national observance bringing communities together through shared civic reflection.
The Maine Historical Society’s yearlong Revolutionary Maine initiative includes exhibits, events, and programs to examine Maine’s role in the American Revolution and what its history means for citizens today. The Pathways to Freedom exhibit, running through December 2026, explores the lives of six real-life Maine residents during the Revolutionary War through material culture.
July 11, 2026 — Orioles vs. Royals: America’s 250th Birthday Celebration
Celebrate America’s anniversary with America’s pastime at Oriole Park! The Baltimore Orioles play the Kansas City Royals, followed by a postgame drone show with Maryland and Americana imagery and music.
August 4, 2026 — Angels in Oilskins Festival, Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum
The Ocean City Museum Society celebrates 236 years of the U.S. Coast Guard’s service along with 250 years of the United States with historical demonstrations, hands-on activities, music, and more.
September 11 - 13, 2026 — Defenders' Day at Fort McHenry
Baltimore’s oldest holiday, celebrated since 1815, honors the defense of the city from British attack in 1814 that inspired “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Living history demonstrations, music, and educational programs celebrate the soldiers, sailors, and civilians who defended their home from the American Revolution onward.
Ongoing:
Revolutionary Maryland: Freedom of the Press Then and Now: A traveling exhibition exploring the role and evolution of the free press from the Maryland colony to today’s America.
Poplar Hill Mansion Series: A series of lectures, exhibits, and events throughout 2026 at a historic house museum in the 18th-century town of Salisbury.
