Baltimore is located at the end of the Patapsco River, which runs into the Chesapeake Bay, and was named after Cecil Calvert, First Lord Baltimore and founder of Maryland. The City was established by the colonial government in 1729 whereby town commissioners negotiated 60 acres of land purchased from Charles and Daniel Carroll. At that time Baltimore had a population of about 900.

In 1776, Baltimore was a meeting place for delegates to the Continental Congress. During the War of Independence, the City’s industry boomed, as it became the leading supply center to the Revolution. At this time Baltimore had a population of about 6,700; however, amazingly, by the turn of the 19th century, the City’s population had grown to 45,000.

The City’s seaport, or what is now known as the National Historic Seaport of Baltimore, was also the homeport for U.S. Navy vessels during the War of 1812. Thus, the port became a major target for the enemy, which brought about the Battle of Baltimore on September 13 - 14, 1814. The British attack was unsuccessful, however, due to the gallant defense by American forces at Fort McHenry. It was during this British bombardment that poet/lawyer Francis Scott Key, detained aboard an enemy ship, was inspired to write "The Star-Spangled Banner" as he witnessed those "broad stripes and bright stars" still gallantly waving "by the dawn's early light."

On February 17, 1817, Baltimore became the first city in the world to have street illumination as gaslights were installed along Holliday Street. And by the mid-1800s, the City’s population was 80,625 -- making it second to New York City as the largest in the world. Following the War of 1812 Baltimore was a thriving slave market. It was in Fell’s Point, once the center of the City’s ship building industry, where one of America’s most powerful abolitionists, Frederick Douglass, worked and lived. During his enslavement, Douglass taught himself to read and write and later found freedom by escaping onto a departing charter. Not long after he would become a key figure in the emancipation of African American slaves.

As the most southern of northern cities -- located about 60 miles under the Mason-Dixon Line -- Baltimore has never really confirmed a regional identity. Even during the Civil War the town was neither Union nor Confederate. However, somewhat ironically, the first bloodshed of the Civil War occurred in Baltimore. The 6th Massachusetts Regiment was marching through the City, heading to Washington, when they were attacked by angry Baltimoreans who had sided with the Confederates. Fort McHenry was occupied by Union forces during the War and served as a prison camp for Confederate soldiers. The Fort, now a national monument and historic shrine, also played a significant role in both World War I and II as well.

During the latter half of the 19th century, education, business, and culture in Baltimore prospered. The City was a huge manufacturing center, producing everything from iron to oysters. It also became home to Johns Hopkins University and The University of Maryland. But on February 7 - 8, 1904, Baltimore suffered a fire which destroyed 1,600 structures. And though the City rebuilt valiantly, the two World Wars and The Great Depression caused its economic state to remain unstable.

With the revival of the City’s Inner Harbor, the town has become an enjoyable tourist destination, witnessing a significant influx of visitors year-round. Throughout the Inner Harbor, juxtaposed with relics of an intriguing maritime history, are a number of contemporary attractions. Some of these include the National Aquarium, Maryland Science Center, Port Discovery Children’s Museum, the new Harborplace and The Gallery shopping centers, and the newly erected Ravens Stadium (1998) and Oriole Park at Camden Yards (1992).

Baltimore also belongs to a number of literary masters, such as Edgar Allan Poe, Francis Scott Key, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Upton Sinclair, Gertrude Stein, and H.L. Mencken, to name a few. In addition, the City was home to such Jazz heroes as Eubie Blake, Cab Calloway, and Billie Holliday; as well as baseball legend, Babe Ruth, whose birthplace is now a museum that offers visitors a complete "Babe" experience, along with interesting exhibits on the Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore can be both fun and educational if you hit the right spots. For the town mixes well its fascinating history and modern amenities.