From the founding of Baltimore by Lord Baltimore, to the restoration of the Inner Harbor, Baltimore has never lost its edge and its independence, surviving battles, fires, and more common urban plagues. Now, the City of Firsts stands tall as one of the leading cities in America, with great tourist destinations for the whole family.

  The Independent City of Baltimore, MD by Art Gib

Maryland's largest city belongs to a small group of cities that are independent. An independent city is one that does not belong to a county. This form of government aims to make the administration of a large city less burdensome. Baltimore was declared an independent city in 1851, about one hundred and twenty years after its 1729 founding. The city was named after the Irish Lord who founded Maryland Colony. Lord Baltimore took his title from a place known as Baltimore in Ireland (anglicized version of the Irish words meaning "Town of the Big House").

The colony of Baltimore played a pivotal role as a granary for the sugar producing Caribbean colonies. As a major port that remained closer to the Caribbean, the expedited transport of goods to that region was possible, reducing the chance for spoilage of food. The physical location of the city continues to play an important role as Baltimore's proximity to the Midwest makes it the closest major U.S. port to the markets of the Midwest. The city also played an important role in resistance to the British leading up to the American Revolution.

After the revolution the City of Baltimore -- created from the Town of Baltimore, Jonestown and nearby Fells Point in 1797 -- continued to be a site of resistance. British Troops advanced on Baltimore in September 1814 after burning Washington D.C. Francis Scott Keyes (author to the words of the U.S. National Anthem) witnessed the bombardment of Baltimore while aboard a British ship during the same attack. His first hand experience of the battle inspired him to write the Star Spangled Banner. Following the battle with the British, Baltimore witnessed rapid growth and general prosperity.

Besides the railroad strike of 1877, onset by the attempted reduction of Baltimore & Ohio Railroad workers' wages, only two major disturbances of public order have occurred. The first was a riot in 1861caused by those sympathetic with the confederacy. When Union troops marched through the city they attacked them, even though Baltimore had not seceded from the Union. The other riot occurred a full century later following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis Tennessee April 4, 1968. Public order could not be restored until April 12 after Maryland National Guard troops and some 1,900 federal troops gave assistance. Despite these setbacks Baltimore continued to grow.

A fire on February 7, 1904 destroyed more than 1,500 buildings. The extensive and rapid rebuilding that occurred after the fire is reflected today by extensive efforts to revitalize Baltimore's downtown area known as the Inner Harbor.

The Inner Harbor had fallen into disrepair by 1970. Following the opening of a convention center in 1979, the construction of a major retail and restaurant complex, an aquarium, two national sport team stadiums and other projects, the Inner Harbor has been restored to its original splendor.

GEP Baltimore (http://gepbaltimore.com/) specializes in crafting special events in Baltimore, MD. Contact them for all your special event needs. Art Gib is a freelance writer.

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