The Guide to Living in Baltimore, Maryland

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

The History of Baltimore, Maryland

Established in 1729 as one of the American colony’s earliest and most important ports, Baltimore, Maryland represents one of the most historic and most dynamic destinations in all the Mid-Atlantic.

Named in honor of the Cecil Calvert, a founding proprietor of the Province of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland derives its name from the Irish phrase Balle an Ti Mhoir, or “town of the big house.”

As with many destinations throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Baltimore, Maryland played an important role in American history. Beginning in the colonial period from the mid-1600s to the mid-1700s, Baltimore, Maryland played an important role in early American history as an important destinations for trade and commerce.

After incorporating as the City of Baltimore, to which it remains to this day an independent city, Baltimore, Maryland served as an important theater during the War of 1812, including the location of the Battle of Baltimore where Francis Scott Key wrote a poem that would become "The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the oldest railroad in the United States, was built in 1830, cementing Baltimore's status as one of America’s most important and modern cities. Baltimore's Inner Harbor was once the second leading port of entry for immigrants to the United States.

Today, Baltimore, Maryland remains one of the Mid-Atlantic’s most dynamic cities, and is home to some of the region’s most historic homes and historic neighborhoods, including Fell’s Point, Federal Hill, Guilford, and Roland Park. Further, as the most populous city in Maryland, Baltimore is home to some of the Mid-Atlantic’s most important public and private institutions, including Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins University.