Maryland's Nicknames NICKNAMES Maryland is known as both the Old Line State and the Free State. Old Line State. According to some historians, General George Washington bestowed the name "Old Line State" and thereby associated Maryland with its regular line troops, the Maryland Line, who served courageously in many Revolutionary War battles. For a closer examination of the background on this nickname, see: The Origin of the "Old Line State" , by Ryan Polk (2005). Free State. Maryland was first recognized as a "Free State" on November 1, 1864. On that date, the Maryland Constitution of 1864 took effect. By its provisions, slavery within the State's borders was abolished, and Maryland, indeed, became a free state. To celebrate the emancipation, under direction of the Baltimore City Council, five hundred guns were fired, bells were rung, and flags displayed "to attest the joy of the people at their great deliverance." Much later, the nickname "Free State" was used in a different context by Hamilton Owens, editor of the Baltimore Sun. In 1923, Georgia Congressman William D.

Upshaw, a firm supporter of Prohibition, denounced Maryland as a traitor to the Union for refusing to pass a State enforcement act. Mr. Owens thereupon wrote a mock-serious editorial entitled "The Maryland Free State," arguing that Maryland should secede from the Union rather than prohibit the sale of liquor. The irony in the editorial was subtle, and Mr. Owens decided not to print it. He popularized the nickname, however, in later editorials. Archives of Maryland Online "The Origin of the �the Old Line State� Ryan Polk, Research Archivist, Maryland State Archives 2005 Maryland earned the nickname �Old Line State� in the American Revolution. The Maryland Line, Maryland�s regiments of regulars, achieved a reputation as the saviors of the Continental Army and the cause of independence. References to the �Old Line� are a tribute to the Maryland Line, but more specifically, to the first incarnation of the Maryland Line, the men who first mobilized in December 1775 and early 1776 and fought at Long Island on 27 August 1776, serving under William Smallwood, Francis Ware, Thomas Price, and Mordecai Gist.

The battle-worn survivors of this regiment ostensibly reorganized in December 1777, continuing their enlistments �for three years or during the war.� But by the close of 1777, few remained from the original line Washington witnessed at Long Island. Bled weak by fighting in the vanguard of the war, they received reinforcements from the Maryland companies of the Flying Camp, and earned recognition for their sacrifices in the form of a nickname. 1 Precisely attributing the genesis of the name to a single source is difficult, if not impossible. Rather, the sobriquet seems to have developed in the revolutionary generation�s colloquial language without a precisely identifiable origin. Evidence of its existence and comprehension appears in multiple contemporary sources, most notably in the writings of the commanders of the Continental Army, George Washington and Nathaniel Greene. The Maryland Line�s reputation will be forever associated with their heroic sacrifices at the Battle of Long Island and the ensuing defense covering the rear of the Continental Army as it retreated. After all of the immediate witnesses and survivors had passed, the name came to mean more as subsequent generations sought a connection to a proud past.

The Old Line that once earned Maryland soldiers such an untarnishable reputation in 1776, now stands fast as a symbolic name for the entire state. Defining a Name According to popular tradition, Washington bestowed his high esteem upon the Maryland Line after viewing their heroic stand at the Battle of Long Island. Given the order to defend the American withdrawal from Long Island, the Maryland Line saved the Continental Army from annihilation in the first major battle of the war. �Good God, what brave fellows I must this day lose,� Washington remarked to Israel Putnam as he witnessed the Marylanders repeatedly charge Cortelyou House, effectively holding back the British advance. Later, Washington described their efforts as an "hour more precious to American liberty than any other." 2 Trusting in their proven discipline and courage from that point through the end of the war, Washington utilized the Maryland Line in positions vital to the success of the army. Along with Nathaniel Greene�s Rhode Islanders, the Maryland Line displayed soldierly conduct that rivaled or exceeded the best in the Continental Army. The performance and conduct of the troop was a product of their time spent drilling before joining the ranks of the Continental Army � training that differentiated the Maryland Line from other state�s troops.

While other states responded to Congress�s call for recruits with untrained militia, on 18 January 1776, the Maryland Provincial Convention working, under the assumption that paid soldiers furnished with rations and suits of clothes would be better soldiers, established the Maryland Line as a regiment of uniformed regulars. The Convention�s assumption proved correct as the Line exemplified a cohesive, disciplined unit, especially in comparison to the throngs of untrained militia that formed the bulk of the Continental Army. 3 As few troops would stand and fight in the face of England�s battle-tested professional army, the fact that the Maryland Line functioned and operated as a disciplined unit was not lost on Washington. The Maryland Line�s record of service made a lasting impression as Washington remembered the old line in his personal writings, and though Washington referred to every state�s regiments as a �line,� Washington�s use of �old line� may have had substantial influence on the adoption of the �Old Line State� nickname. Washington addressed the Maryland Line frequently as he corresponded regularly with the Maryland General Assembly, General William Smallwood, Governor Thomas Johnson, and others.

By the end of 1779, the first wave of enlistments expired, though questionable wording in enlistment papers left this open to debate. In 1776, soldiers had enlisted for �three years or during the war.� Most of the veterans re-enlisted, and more recruits joined their ranks. As Congress called for states to furnish their quota of recruits, Washington believed more Marylanders served than the state was accredited, and furnished the Continental Army with a disproportionately large number of regiments. Washington argued for a more accurate count of the men who enlisted and served in the Maryland regiments in his 16 February 1779 letter to General William Smallwood, referring to the �old Soldiers of the Maryland line,� i.e. the survivors who fought in the Battle of Long Island and the ensuing northern military campaign. 4 Washington�s letter acknowledges that Maryland exceeded its quota of volunteers by the first reorganization in 1779.

5 Then in a 28 May 1779 letter to Governor Thomas Johnson, Washington recommended commissions for "Gentlemen of merit" who have "long acted as officers of the line." 6 Around the time of reorganization, officers of the Maryland Line complained to Nathaniel Greene that with their numbers dwindling and much of the commanding field staff positions vacant, they worried that Congress would appoint officers from outside their ranks. The Marylanders referred to themselves as an �Old Regiment� whose reputation and record would be �diminished by being obliged to serve under them [newly appointed officers].� In the eyes of its members, the Maryland Line was a well-established, �old� regiment by 1780. �Old� is at once a reference to their record of reliability and an acknowledgment of the sacrifices made by the first soldiers of the line.

Nathaniel Greene responded, remarking of the reorganization of the army, ��the officers of the Old Regiments shall compose the officers of the new�.� Greene held the Marylanders in high regard, and further offered his compliments, "nothing would give me greater pleasure then to have it in my power to oblige a corps of officers whose service have been so important to their country, and so honorable to themselves." 7 In 1780, the Maryland Line (the first two Corps) reorganized as the first and second Maryland, and became the backbone of Greene�s southern army. At the end of the decisive victory at the Battle of Cowpens on 17 January 1781, the Maryland Line (the 2nd Maryland) held the center of General Daniel Morgan's command. 8 In a diary entry dated 22 July 1781, Washington reflected on his �old lines thrown up in 1776� in Harlem Heights � a clear reference to the line of the combined Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware regiments that checked the advance of the British at the Battle of White Plains, allowing the Continental Army to evacuate Manhattan Island.

9 A few months before his death, on 14 December 1799, Washington advised Alexander Hamilton regarding selection of officers for the army. "If Genl. Wilkinson should be promoted, it will be expected, no doubt, that the oldest Lieutt. Colo. Commandant should step into his Shoes as Brigadier; of course the oldest Major of the old line, would succeed to the vacancy occasioned thereby..." 10 This letter may be the origination "Old Line" as attributed to Washington. Though born in Calvert County, General James Wilkinson initially served under General Horatio Gates, but did not serve in the Maryland Line. Wilkinson received his Maryland pension after 1815, and died in Mexico in 1825. 11 In his memoirs, although desperate to salvage his disgraced reputation, Wilkinson did not lay claim to sharing the fame of his state's line. 12 In referring to the "old line" in 1799, Washington was merely being consistent in his use of "line" to refer to troops in general. After the war, members of the Maryland Line maintained relationships formed during the Revolution.

In the last days of the Revolution, the Society of the Cincinnati formed chapters in each of the thirteen original states. William Smallwood called for the first assembly of the Maryland Society of the Cincinnati on 20 November 1783; a day later, Smallwood and Mordecai Gist became the first officers of the Maryland chapter of the society, which consisted entirely of officers of the Maryland Line. One of the express purposes of the society was to foster fraternal camaraderie and honor their collective military history. Effectively meeting for reunions as long as there were survivors, the first members of the Cincinnati likely cultivated and propagated the story of the old line. As the revolutionary generation dwindled, perhaps the first �greatest generation� in American history, the last survivors were venerated as patriotic icons of a glorious past, and the cause and ideals for which they fought were canonized as hallowed tenets of the American democratic state. There was a legitimate fear that with their passing so would pass the democracy they established, as if they alone held the nation together. So revered was the unifying force of the passing revolutionary generation that uncertainty prevailed as to whether, in the fragmented partisan age that followed, the nation could continue to exist.

13 During their lifetimes, to members of the Maryland Line the name �old line� referred specifically to their regiments, but in the years after the death of the revolutionary generation, the pride formerly invested in members of the Maryland Line grew into a source of statewide identification � the old line became immortalized as the Old Line State. The revolutionary generation, and the �Old Line� for Marylanders in particular, provided a common heritage, a symbol of continuity and identification for an increasingly heterogeneous population. 3. Archives of Maryland, vol. 78, The Proceedings of the Conventions of the Province of Maryland, held at the City of Annapolis, in 1774, 1775 & 1776, (Baltimore: James Lucas & E. K. Deaver and Annapolis: Jonas Green, 1836). L1053, 119. See also Mark Andrew Tacyn, ��To the End:� The First Maryland Regiment and the American Revolution.� Ph.D. diss., University of Maryland, 1999, 9-12. 4.

George Washington to William Smallwood, 16 February 1779, The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799, vol. 14, ed. John C. Fitzpatrick (Washington: GPO, 1931-1944). Washington recommended extending enlistments if possible, but releasing those who protested. See George Washington to William Smallwood 18 December 1779. 5. James Fitzgerald Brewer, "Military Maryland," chap. 16 in The Old Line State, Morris Radoff, ed. (Annapolis: Hall of Records Commission, 1971), 251-252. 6. Washington to Johnson, 28 May 1779, Archives of Maryland, vol. 21, ed. William Hand Browne, (Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1901), 430. 7. Officers of the Maryland Line to General Greene, 18 December 1780, in "Grievances in the Line," Maryland Historical Magazine 4 (1909), 362-363.

8. James H. Brewer Fitzgerald, History of the 175th Infantry (5th Maryland), (Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1955) 42. 9. Donald Jackson and Dorothy Twohig, eds., The Diaries of George Washington, 6 vols, (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976-79). Available online at: #D , accessed August 22, 2005. 10. George Washington to Alexander Hamilton, June 25, 1799, Writings of Washington, vol 37. 11. See J. Thomas Scharf, History of Maryland, vol. 2. 1879. Reprint, (Hatsboro: Tradition Press, 1967), 290-291; Resolution no. 47, Laws Made and Passed by the General Assembly of Maryland 1815, Jehu Chandler, printer (Annapolis: Jehu Chandler, 1816) [Archives of Maryland Online, vol 634, 222]. 12.

General James Wilkinson, Memoirs of My Own Times, (Philadelphia: Abraham Small, 1816). 13. See Robert P. Hay, "Charles Carroll and the Passing of the Revolutionary Generation," Maryland Historical Magazine. 67 (1972), 4-62. 14. H. L. Mencken, The American Language: An Inquiry into the Development of English in the United States, sup. 2, (New York: Knopf, 1960). 15. M. Schele de Vere, Americanisms; The English of the New World, (New York: Charles Scribner & Co., 1872). 16. The origin of this story is also difficult to pinpoint. Beginning in 1975, the Maryland Manual reports this tale in each edition. The Maryland Manual serves as the permanent historical record of Maryland government. 17. See William Winder, "History of Maryland," The Journal of the Times 1, (Sept. 12-Nov.

7, 1818); 4-9, 17-21, 33-36, 59-63, 65-68, 81-85, 113-17, 129-134; Thomas Waters Griffith, Sketches of the Early History of Maryland, (Baltimore: Frederick G. Shaeffer, 1821); and John Van Lear McMahon, An Historical View of the Government of Maryland, From Its Colonization to the Present Day, (Baltimore: F. Lucas, Jr. Cushing & Sons, and William and Joseph Neal, 1831.) 18. James McSherry, History of Maryland, (Baltimore: John Murphy & Co., 1852), 212-213. 20. See Daniel E.

Sutherland, "'Altamont' of the Tribune: John Williamson Palmer in the Civil War," Maryland Historical Magazine, 78 (1983), 54-66; and David Winfred Gaddy, "John Williamson Palmer: Confederate Agent," Maryland Historical Magazine, 83 (1988). 98-110. 21. "What is a Hoosier?," Indiana Historical Board, , accessed 27 September 2005. 22. Several businesses under state contract appear in the Proceedings of the General Assembly. Also see City Directories at Archives of Maryland Online: . Proceedings and Debates of the 1967 Constitutional Convention, Archives of Maryland Online, vol. 104 , accessed 29 August 2005. 23. Matthew Page Andrews, History of Maryland: Province and State, (Hatboro: Tradition Press, 1965), 334. Andrews, Matthew Page. History of Maryland: Province and State. New York: Doubleday Doran & Co., 1929. Arnett, Earl, Robert J. Brugger, and Edward C. Papenfuse, eds.

A New Guide to the Old Line State, 2nd ed. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999. Balkoski, Joseph M. The Maryland National Guard: A History of Maryland�s Military Forces 1634-1991. Baltimore: Maryland National Guard, 1991. Batt, Richard Ph.D. "Maryland's Brave Fellows, Maryland in the Revolution� from the Bicentennial Series from Maryland Magazine, 1976. �Battle of Long Island,� Maryland Historical Magazine, vol. 14, (1919): 110-120. Brewer, James H. Fitzgerald. History of the 175th Infantry (Fifth Maryland). Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, MD, 1955. Brugger, Robert J. Maryland: A Middle Temperament 1634 � 1980. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1988. Department of Forests and Parks.

The Old Line Acorn, 1954-1957, Annapolis, MD, MSA SC 1178-1-77. Dillon, Conley H., ed. Messages, Addresses, and Public Papers of J. Millard Tawes, Governor of Maryland, 1959-1963. 2 vols. Annapolis: State of Maryland, 1967. Available online as Archives of Maryland vol. 82 ( ). Field, Thomas W. Memoirs of the Long Island Historical Society. Vol. 2 The Battle of Long Island; With Preceding and Subsequent Events. Brooklyn: The Long Island Historical Society, 1869. Fitzpatrick, John C., ed. The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799. Washington: GPO, 1931-1944. Freeman, Douglas Southall. George Washington: A Biography. New York: Charles Scribner�s Sons, 1951. Gaddy, David Winfred Gaddy.

�John Williamson Palmer: Confederate Agent,� Maryland Historical Magazine, 83 (1988): 98-110. �Grievances in the Line,� Maryland Historical Magazine vol. 4, (1909): 362-368. Griffith, Thomas W. Sketches of the Early History of Maryland. Baltimore: Frederick G. Schaeffer, 1821. Hay, Robert P. �Charles Carroll and the Passing of the Revolutionary Generation.� Maryland Historical Magazine, 67 (1972): 54-62. Indiana Historical Board. �What is a Hoosier?� , accessed September 27, 2005. Jackson, Donald and Dorothy Twohig, eds. The Diaries of George Washington, 6 vols. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976-79. Jenson, Ann. �What Brave Fellows,� The Annapolitan, August 1991, 38-40, 57-58. Kilbourne, John Dwight. The Maryland Line.

Baltimore: Society of the Cincinnati of Maryland, 1992. Maryland Historical Records Survey Project (WPA). Calendar of the General Otho Holland Williams Papers in the Maryland Historical Society. Baltimore: Maryland Historical Records Survey Project, 1940. �Maryland Troops in War of Revolution,� Maryland Historical Magazine 4 (1909): 288-289. Mencken, H. L. The American Language: An Inquiry into the Development of English in the United States, sup. 2. New York: Knopf, 1960. McMahon, John V. L. An Historical View of the Government of Maryland from its Colonization to the Present Day. Baltimore: F. Lucas Jr., Cushing & Sons, and William and Joseph Neal, 1831. McSherry, James. History of Maryland from its Settlement in 1634 to the Year 1848. Baltimore: John Murphy & Co., Printers and Publishers, 1852. McSherry, James . History of Maryland. Edited by Bartlett B. James. Baltimore: Baltimore Book Co, 1904.

Myers, J. Jay. �Washington�s Dire Straights,� for American History Magazine as published on about.com, accessed August 11, 2005. Meyers, Minor, Jr. Liberty without Anarchy: A History of the Society of the Cincinnati. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1983 Oxford English Dictionary online. Papenfuse, Edward C. and Gregory A. Stiverson. �General Smallwood�s Recruits: The Peacetime Career of the Revolutionary War Private.� William and Mary Quarterly 3rd Series, vol. 30, no. 1, (January 1973): 117-132. Radoff, Morris, Ph.D. The Old Line State. Annapolis: Hall of Records Commission, 1971. William Sands to Honoured Father and Mother, August 14, 1776 [see Governor�s Commission on Maryland Military Monument box 1 MSA T-3277]. Scharf, J. Thomas. History of Maryland, vol. 2. 1879. Reprint, Hatsboro: Tradition Press, 1967.

Sutherland, Daniel E. ��Altamont� of the Tribune: John Williamson Palmer in the Civil War,� Maryland Historical Magazine, 78 (1983): 54-66. Steuart, Rieman. The History of the Maryland Line in the Revolutionary War 1775-1783. Society of the Cincinnati of Maryland: n pl., 1969. Tacyn, Mark Andrew. ��To the End:� The First Maryland Regiment and the American Revolution.� Ph.D. diss., University of Maryland, 1999. de Vere, M. Schele. Americanisms; The English of the New World. New York: Charles Scribner & Co., 1872. Winder, Winder, �History of Maryland,�The Journal of the Times 1, (Sept. 12-Nov. 7, 1818); Maryland: A Guide to the Old Line State. Compiled by workers of the Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Maryland, American Guide Series. New York: Oxford University Press, 1934.

Newspaper Articles �Maryland Line Perpetuates State�s War Fame,� The Sun, May 11, 1913, morning edition. �New York Hunts Bones of Famed Md. Regiment,� Washington Post-Time Herald, January, 1957. �Remembering the Battle of Brooklyn; History: Beneath an auto repair shop in Brooklyn, N.Y., are the neglected graves of 256 Maryland soldiers killed in the biggest battle of the Revolution,� The Baltimore Sun, September 1, 1996, Local News, p. 14C, Carroll edition. Maryland Gazette, September 12, 1776, 2-3. Argetsinger, Amy, �State House Wins Out as Image on Md. Quarter,� The Washington Post, June 2, 1999, Metro sec., p. B1. Haberman, Clyde and Laurie Johnston, �Old Stone House Gets Flags at Last,� The New York Times, August 30, 1982, Metropolitan Desk sec. B, p. 3, col. 3.

Henry, Frank, �America�s Most Precious Hour,� The Baltimore Sun, September 16, 1951. Koterba, Edward V. �Shrine to Gen. Smallwood Planned by Marylanders,� The Washington Post and Times Herald, January 3, 1955. McCardell, Lee. �Proud History of Dandy Fifth,� review of History of the 175th Infantry (Fifth Maryland) by James Brewer, The Evening Sun, September 16, 1955. Merwin, Jay. �Monument in N.Y. honors Md.,� The Evening Sun, August 21, 1991. ����, �Burial mound just a memory,� [Baltimore Sun or The Evening Sun] August 1991 (prob.). Montgomery, Lori. �Two-Bi Identity Crisis; Imprint Befuddles the Free--Make That 'Old Line'�State,� The Washington Post, March 14, 2000, Metro sec., p. B1. Novak, Josephine.

�Continental General and Governor: Smallwood a Leader in War, Peace,� The Evening Sun, June 2, 1976, Accent section, B1. Roylance, Frank D. �Md. soldiers' sacrifice remembered; Brooklyn: The 256 Marylanders who lost their lives in a 1776 New York battle rest in one of the most forlorn military gravesites in the nation. Members of an American Legion post fight to keep their memory alive,� The Baltimore Sun, August 27, 1996, Telegraph sec., p. 1A. Swann, Rita. �N.Y Dedication Tells Glory of MD Soldiers,� The Baltimore American, August 29, 1937, 12. Valentine, Paul W. �256 Maryland Soldiers Remembered in Brooklyn,� The Washington Post, August 27, 1991, Metro sec., p. B6. Maps Tunis, Edward.

A historical and literary map of the Old Line State of Maryland showing forth divers curious and notable facts relating to scenes, incidents and persons worthy to be recalled on the State's three hundredth anniversary, 1934, MSA SC 1427-1-326, also MSA SC 2111-1-166. Laws MSA Internal Research Files Maryland State Archives Topic files (MSA SC1456): Cincinnati, Society of SC1456-287, Maryland Line SC1456-662, Gen. William Smallwood SC1456-953, George Washington SC1456-1126, George Washington � Correspondence SC1456-1127, Old Line State SC1456-1379, Maryland 400 Monument Rededication SC1456-1762 Biographical files: William Smallwood SC1138-001-1134 Papenfuse Topic File Collection: �Nickname for Maryland: Old Line State, Terrapin State; Free State, etc.

from Mencken, AED, De Vere,� SC1916-B27-F535 Military Monuments Commission (General File), 1989-1998, boxes 1 �6, T3277. In response to msaref entry MSA SC 5458-51-784 re: the rosters and details of the Maryland 400, we produced a document packet � tentatively entitled "the Battle of Long Island." This work consists mainly of copies from the topic files and responses to earlier (c.1970-1990) reference requests, but does not examine the relationship between the Maryland Line�s stand at the Battle of Long Island and the eventual nickname �the Old Line� state. Online Primary Resources [ Keyword searches: old line, Maryland Line, William Smallwood, Long Island, Mordecai Gist, Gowanus, Brooklyn (and variations thereof).

The only use of the term "Old Line" was in a news article about the issuance of the Maryland quarter in 2000, and a reference from the New Guide to the Old Line State.] The State of Maryland - An Introduction to the Old Line State from NETSTATE.COM The State of Maryland Maryland State House, Annapolis One of the world's great estuaries, Chesapeake Bay, divides Maryland into two parts. The bay is navigable, and offers a rich habitat for abundant populations of fish and wildlife. The bay and its harbors provide the right environment for migratory waterfowl, and for harvesting crabs, oysters, and clams. During the War of 1812, Fort McHenry, sentinel of Baltimore's harbor, was bombarded with advanced weapons, including rockets, and on September 13, 1814. Francis Scott Key was so inspired as he watched the attack, that he wrote the "Star-Spangled Banner" in praise of the successful defense of the fort. Find out more about the author of the "Star Spangled Banner" in this book by Sam Meyer, Paradoxes of Fame: The Francis Scott Key Story .

Visit with this interesting lawyer, leading lay-churchman, diplomat, humanitarian, poet, Attorney General for the District of Columbia and family man of the early 19th century. Burnside Bridge, Antietam Creek The Old Line State This nickname is, according to some, a reference to the Maryland soldiers who fought courageously in the Revolutionary War, the Maryland Line. It is said that General George Washington referred to these soldiers as "The Old Line." Maryland was the only state that had regular troops "of the line" and these soldiers were ranked among the finest and best disciplined in the army. Another origin is given that goes back further in history. It is said that Maryland is referred to as "The Old Line State" because it was the dividing line between the land grants given to William Penn and Lord Baltimore. The Free State This nickname originated in an article written by Hamilton Owens, the editor or the Baltimore Sun. In 1923, a Georgia Congressman, William D. Upshaw, attacked Maryland as a traitor to the union because it never passed a State enforcement act supporting Prohibition. Hamilton Owens' article, "The Maryland Free State" was a mocking response to Mr.

Upshaw, suggesting that Maryland should secede from the Union before acting to prohibit the sale of liquor. This article was never published but Mr. Owens referred to Maryland as "The Free State" in later editorials. The Cockade State This nickname, coined during the Revolutionary War, again refers to the Maryland soldiers. According to King's Handbook of the United States , 1891, the Maryland Old Line was made up of young men who "...wore brilliant cockades". Cockades are badge-like ornaments usually worn on hats. These decorations gave birth to Maryland's nickname, "The Cockade State." City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland The Monumental State In the early 17th century, Baltimore was given the nickname of "The Monumental City" and this nickname was transferred to the state over time. "The Monumental City" was bestowed upon Baltimore by President John Quincy Adams, probably in reference to the monuments he saw on his visit to the city in 1827. The "Battle Monument" honoring Baltimore's defensive victory in the War of 1812 was standing on the site of the old court house. Construction was under way on the first major memorial to George Washington.

President Adams was also taken to North Point to view the Aquila Randall Monument erected to honor a member of the First Mechanical Volunteers of the Fifth Regiment who was killed on September 12, 1814. At a dinner engagement, Adams thanked the citizens of Baltimore for the kind reception he had been given during his visit and proposed a toast" "Baltimore, the Monumental City--may the days of her safety be as prosperous and happy as the days of her danger have been trying and triumphant!" The Oyster State This nickname referred to the large oyster fisheries in the state. The Queen State Probably because Maryland was named after Queen Henrietta Maria, Maryland has been referred to as "The Queen State." Maryland Facts | Visit Maryland Maryland Facts Like Tweet Google +1 Pinterest Share Save Print Download PDF Email Maryland's nicknames: "America In Miniature", "Old Line State", "Free State" Maryland has been called "America in Miniature" because so much is packed into its 10,460 square miles of land and water. You can find just about any kind of natural feature here, except a desert. That's because water is almost everywhere in Maryland.

The "America In Miniature" title also applies to the role Maryland has played in our nation's history, from the founding of the United States to the present. And like our country, Maryland is home to ethnic groups of every origin. Famous Marylanders include politicians, lawyers, painters, craftspeople, writers, health professionals and religious leaders. Maryland was home to the first railroad, the first dental school and the first umbrella factory. And Maryland inventors gave us the gas light, the linotype machine and the refrigerator. Maryland is also called the "Old Line State" and "Free State."The Old Line nickname was given during the Revolutionary War, when 400 soldiers in the First Maryland Regiment fought a British force of 10,000 and helped General George Washington's army to escape. Washington depended on the Maryland Line throughout the war, and the soldiers' discipline and bravery earned Maryland its nickname. The name "Free State" was given in 1919, when Congress passed a law prohibiting the sale and use of alcohol. Marylanders opposed prohibition because they believed it violated their state's rights. The "Free State" nickname also represents Maryland's long tradition of political freedom and religious tolerance.

The Chesapeake Bay The largest body of water in Maryland is the Chesapeake Bay, but we also have nearly 50 rivers and creeks, plus streams, lakes, ponds and the Atlantic Ocean. These waterways have been sources of food, employment, transportation and recreation for many centuries. The major source of the Chesapeake Bay is the Susquehanna River. It is now the largest non-navigable river in North America, but 20,000 years ago the Susquehanna flowed all the way from upstate New York to the Atlantic Ocean. Ten thousand years ago, melting glacier ice caused the Atlantic to rise and push up into the Susquehanna; overflowing its banks and creating the Chesapeake Bay. The Bay is a drowned river bed of the Susquehanna River and also an estuary, where fresh and salt water mingle. The area of land and rivers from Cooperstown, New York to Virginia is called the "watershed" or "drainage area" of the Bay.

Marylanders At Work Services 82% (Community, social, personal and tourism services, 27%; wholesale and retail trade, 25%; government, 19%; finance, insurance, and real estate, 6%; and transportation, communications, and utilities, 5%.) Manufacturing 9% Maryland - U.S. States - HISTORY.com Nickname(s): Old Line State; Free State; Cockade State; Oyster State; Monumental State Motto: Fatti Maschii Parole Femine (“Strong Deeds, Gentle Words”) Tree: White Oak Bird: Baltimore Oriole Interesting Facts In April 1649, colonists voted into law An Act Concerning Religion (later known as the Maryland Toleration Act), which granted freedom of worship for all Christians. Although permanently repealed in 1692, the act was one of the first statutes granting religious liberty of any kind and was an important step toward true freedom of religion in the United States. In 1763, astronomer Charles Mason and surveyor Jeremiah Dixon were asked to resolve an 80-year land dispute between the Calvert family of Maryland and the Penn family of Pennsylvania by marking the correct boundary.

The resulting Mason-Dixon Line took five years to complete and later became the demarcation between the free North and slave-holding South. On September 14, 1814, while witnessing the British bombard Fort McHenry in an attempt to capture Baltimore during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner.” In 1931, the United States adopted the song as its national anthem. Branded “The town that fooled the British,” St. Michaels avoided destruction by British invasion on August 10, 1813, when residents—forewarned of an imminent attack—turned off all their lights and attached lanterns to the masts of ships and the tops of trees, causing cannons to overshoot the town. The only house to be struck became known as the “Cannonball House.” The Battle of Antietam in Sharpsburg on September 17, 1862, was the first attack on Union soil during the Civil War and the bloodiest one-day battle in U.S. history with more than 23,000 soldiers killed.

Although it ended in a draw, President Abraham Lincoln used General Robert E. Lee’s retreat to Virginia as an opportunity to issue his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, warning seceded states to return to the Union before the end of the year or their slaves would be declared free. Tags Maryland - The Old Line State The Old Line State Maryland - The Old Line State One of the Proprietary Colonies , the English colony of Maryland was established in 1634, by Cecil Calvert, also known as the second Lord Baltimore. General George Washington bestowed the name "Old Line State", associating it with its regular line troops, the Maryland Line, who served courageously in many Revolutionary War battles. Maryland's capitol is in Annapolis, its state bird is the Baltimore Oriole, and its state flower is the Black-Eyed Susan. Maryland is one of the smallest states in terms of area, as well as one of the most densely populated states in the nation. Ponies at the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Assateague Island, by Robin Baranowski, National Park Service.

Maryland - The Old Line State Maryland - The Old Line State Maryland - The Old Line State Capital City: Old Line State / Free State Motto: Fatti Maschii Parole Femine(Manly deeds, womanly words) Statehood: Named to honor Henrietta Maria, wife of England's King Charles I. Largest Cities: Baltimore, Columbia, Silver Spring, Dundalk, Wheaton-Glenmont, Ellicott City Border States: 9,775 sq. mi., 42nd largest State Bird: State Song: Maryland, My Maryland One of the original 13 states to join the Union (in 1788), Maryland is in the middle of the Eastern Seaboard. It's believed that Lord Baltimore, who received a charter for the land in 1632, named the state after Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I. The Mason and Dixon line was drawn in the 1760s to settle a dispute between the Penn and Calvert families. In addition to marking the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland, it is the traditional boundary between the North and the South.

Maryland is known as the "Free State"; its flower is the black-eyed susan; and its capital is Annapolis, home of the U.S. Naval Academy. Bassmaster Fishing Tournament, Smallwood State Park Originally stocked in 1854 with 30 bass brought by train from Ohio, the Potomac River today ranks as one of America's premier largemouth bass fisheries and is the site of numerous amateur and professional tournaments each year, including the Bassmaster. For the last 10 out of 11 years, the Bassmaster Top 150 tournament has been hosted on the stretch of the Potomac that runs through Smallwood State Park in Charles County, Maryland. It attracts fisherman in both pro and amateur divisions from throughout the United States, from Canada, even internationally. Bass fishing can be found year-round on the Potomac in Charles County. As far back as 1608, Captain John Smith marveled at the huge size and vast numbers of striped bass in the area; in fact, stripers (locally known as Rockfish) are Maryland's state fish.

The Bassmaster Top 150 is famous in fishing circles because the hydrilla growth in the river changes the conditions for bass fishing every year. Hydrilla, a submerged aquatic plant, provides the majority of the cover for the river's bass population, and its fluctuating growth doesn't seem to affect the catches, which remain high. Winning stringers regularly top 50 pounds. Fishing the tidal waters (the Chesapeake Bay is nearby) presents additional challenges to fishermen, who need to time the tides with tournament fishing hours as part of their angling strategies. The project is documented with a printout of Bassmaster web pages, a listing of the standings for the 3-day tournament, a list of 1999 entrants in the tourney, coverage in bass-fishing periodicals, several promotional brochures, a videotape of the 1997 Bassmasters tournament, one color snapshot, and a fishing cap. The Carroll County Ghost Walk This annual event is held in Westminster by the Carroll County Public Library. Participants are introduced to ghost stories from local folklore at a narrated slide show held at the Westminster Branch Library.

Then the group is guided through a walking tour that traces the paths of the local legends, brought to life by skilled storytellers. Held since the early 1980's, the ghost walk was inspired by the book Ghosts and Legends of Carroll County, Maryland, compiled by Jesse Glass, Jr. and published by the Library in 1982. The project includes a copy of that book,17 slides, background text, a copy of the script for the ghost walk, promotional and supplemental materials, and audio tapes of two of the stories, The Story of Cockey's Tavern and The Legend of God's Well. Chestertown Tea Party Festival As a reaction to the British closing the port of Boston after the Boston Tea Party, the citizens of Chestertown wrote a set of resolves that prohibited the buying, selling, or drinking of tea, and, in an act of colonial defiance, held their own tea party on the Chester River in Chestertown five months later in May 1774.

The festival commemorates the historic event with a re-enactment of the "tea party," parade, colonial music and dance, fife and drum performances, puppet shows, colonial crafts demonstrations and sales, military drills, and a walking tour of the historic district. This historic town was established in 1706. Other activities offered are boat rides, music, Maryland Eastern shore food, a ten-mile distance run (the oldest in the U.S.), and children's games and storytelling. Smith Island Maryland's only inhabited offshore island is home to 350 men, women, and children who are descended from the original settlers who arrived in 1659. The original English and Welsh settlers inhabit the three villages of Smith Island, possibly Maryland's most isolated and intact enclave of traditional culture. Families are said to be able to trace their genealogy back 12 generations. Islanders speak a distinctive dialect that they call a "backward language" - they employ certain turns of phrase that only an islander would understand correctly. Once an island of farmers, today's inhabitants make a living crabbing and oystering in the Chesapeake Bay. It is a hard occupation, sometimes involving 12-hour days.

No local government or police maintain order on the island, but each community has its own Methodist church where local decisions are made, thus providing political as well as religious cohesion. A 20-minute videotape, "Land and Water, People and Time," and 23 color slides show the islanders at work and at worship. The text of 12 interviews with the inhabitants is included, and a five-page essay and cookbook provide a colorful evocation of life on the island. Incorrect username and password combination. Please try again

Question: Which US state is known as the ‘Old Line State’?
Answer: Maryland