Anne Arundel County is named after Lady Anne Arundell, a 17th-century English noblewoman from Cornwall, England. She was married to Cecil Calvert, Lord Baltimore, who was appointed the first proprietor of Maryland in 1633, and the couple used their wealth to fund the colony. However, they continued to live in England and did not visit the colony they funded.
Although their marriage was arranged, Cecil was devastated when Anne passed away at the age of 34 in 1649. In 1650, the Maryland General Assembly created a new county and named it in her honor.
A Brief History of Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County’s history dates back prior to the Revolutionary War. The colony of Maryland was originally founded as a place where British members of the Roman Catholic Church could come to avoid religious conflict. Anne Arundel County was founded in 1650 and was one of the first counties in Maryland.
Anne Arundel County was the site of the Battle of the Severn in 1655. This battle was fought between English Commonwealth supporters and Lord Baltimore’s supporters as an extension of English Civil War conflicts. It is often cited as the first naval battle to take place in the US colonies.
Anne Arundel County mainly consisted of farmland early on, although Annapolis grew rapidly during the Revolutionary War period. During the war, Anne Arundel County provided troops for three regiments in the Continental Army. After the war ended, the city served as the temporary capital of the United States for a year. Annapolis-area troops also served as part of the Union Army during the Civil War era.
The county was much larger when it was founded than it is today. The western section of the county later became Howard County after the B&O Railroad was built. This was the first major passenger railroad in the United States and ran straight through the center of Anne Arundel County’s at the time. While the B&O railroad is no longer in service, some parts of the MARC commuter rail run on the same tracks and it is a crucial part of the history of Anne Arundel County.
Farming and fishing continued to be key industries in Anne Arundel County throughout the 19th century. However, developers also started to open resorts in the area during this period, and it became a relaxed summer holiday destination. After World War II, the Baltimore area boomed. Areas that had formerly been farming communities transformed into suburbs, which remain in the area today. It was also around this time that Baltimore-Washington International Airport opened and many new businesses moved into the area.