Baltimore

Maryland Line's Sacrifice at Long Island

At Long Island on August 27, 1776, approximately 400 Maryland Continentals executed a rearguard action, charging repeatedly against superior British and Hessian forces to allow Washington's army to reach Brooklyn Heights. Of the 400, roughly 250 became casualties. Washington reportedly said "Good God, what brave fellows I must this day lose." Their sacrifice became foundational to Maryland's Revolutionary identity.

Maryland Declaration of Rights Adopted

On November 3, 1776, Maryland adopted its Declaration of Rights, drafted primarily by Charles Carroll the Barrister. The document guaranteed freedom of conscience, jury trial rights, protection against unreasonable searches, and limits on government power that anticipated the U.S. Bill of Rights by fifteen years — among the most comprehensive colonial rights documents.

Continental Congress Relocates to Baltimore

On December 20, 1776, the Continental Congress voted to adjourn from Philadelphia and reconvene in Baltimore at the Henry Fite House on Liberty Street, citing the advancing British threat. During the two-month Baltimore session, Congress granted Washington expanded emergency powers — recognizing that the army needed a more capable executive than the Articles of Confederation allowed.

Congress Grants Washington Emergency Powers

On December 27, 1776 — three days after Washington's Delaware crossing — the Continental Congress in Baltimore granted Washington near-dictatorial emergency powers for six months: authority to raise troops, appoint officers, and requisition supplies without congressional approval. Washington used these powers carefully and returned them when the emergency passed.

Continental Congress Returns to Philadelphia

On February 27, 1777, Congress voted to return to Philadelphia, ending the two-month Baltimore session. Washington's victories at Trenton and Princeton had stabilized New Jersey and reduced the threat. The Baltimore session had produced the emergency powers resolution that helped the army survive its most desperate weeks.

Baltimore Privateering Economy at Peak

During the middle years of the Revolutionary War, Baltimore emerged as one of America's leading privateering ports, equipping dozens of vessels under letters of marque to prey on British shipping in the Bay, along the Atlantic, and in Caribbean waters. Prize wealth helped sustain the merchant class and partly funded the war effort, driving Baltimore's population growth through the conflict.

Howard's Bayonet Charge at Cowpens

At Cowpens on January 17, 1781, Colonel John Eager Howard of Baltimore led the Maryland and Delaware Continentals in a bayonet charge that shattered Tarleton's force. The charge followed a controlled American retreat that Tarleton mistook for a rout. Howard received a congressional gold medal; Cowpens is widely considered the turning point of the Southern Campaign.

Fort McHenry Constructed on Revolutionary Earthworks

Fort McHenry was built 1798–1803 as a masonry fortification on Whetstone Point, replacing Revolutionary War earthworks. Named for James McHenry — Washington's aide-de-camp, later Secretary of War — its star-shaped design provided overlapping fields of fire to defend the harbor entrance. This structure, completed fifteen years after the Revolution, was what Key saw standing against the British in 1814.

British Bombardment of Fort McHenry

For twenty-five hours on September 13–14, 1814, a British naval squadron bombarded Fort McHenry with approximately 1,800 shells, rockets, and bombs. The fort held; the British could not silence the guns or force the harbor entrance. Francis Scott Key, watching from a truce vessel miles away, saw the garrison flag still flying at dawn and wrote the poem that became "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Francis Scott Key Writes "The Star-Spangled Banner"

On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key drafted "Defence of Fort McHenry" on the back of a letter while still aboard the British truce vessel following the fleet's withdrawal. Published in Baltimore newspapers within days and set to an English drinking song, it became the official U.S. national anthem in 1931.