Discover Maryland – The seventh state of the original thirteen states of the USA
Maryland was the seventh state to be ratified in the Constitution on April 28, 1788.
The first 13 states of the United States of America were comprised of the original British colonies established between 17th and 18th centuries.
Today, the American flag prominently displays 13 horizontal red and white stripes representing the original thirteen colonies.
Fast Facts
- Nickname: The Old Line State
- Statehood: 1788; 7th state
- Capital: Annapolis
- Biggest City: Baltimore
- Abbreviation: MD
- State Bird: Baltimore oriole
- State Flower: Black-eyed Susan
History
- The first people to live in what’s now Maryland arrived at least 13,000 years ago, though humans may have been in the area as many as 21,000 years ago. Archaeologists know this because they’ve found arrowheads, beads, and other ancient items in and around Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay. Centuries layer Native American tribes lived in the region, including the Lenape, Nanticoke, Powhatan, Susquehannock, and Shawnee tribes.
- In 1608 Captain John Smith became one of the first Europeans to arrive in the area. Then in 1632 Englishman George Calvert was given permission by the king of England to establish the colony of Maryland (though George died before settling the colony; his son Cecilius organized the expedition of colonists instead.) Yet British rule wouldn’t last: Maryland signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. After the United States won the Revolutionary War in 1783, Annapolis, Maryland, became the new country’s capital—but for less than a year. Maryland was made the seventh U.S. state in 1788, and gave up part of its land two years later to help create Washington, D.C.
Why is it called Maryland?
- Maryland was named after Queen Henrietta Maria of England. She was married to King Charles I, who granted permission for Maryland to become a colony.
- Legend has it that Maryland’s nicknamed the Old Line State in honor of 400 Revolutionary War soldiers who faced off against 10,000 British soldiers in a battle in 1776. These soldiers, which were called the “Maryland Line,” held off the British just long enough to allow the rest of the American army—lead by George Washington—to escape.
Geography
- Maryland is bordered by Pennsylvania in the north, Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Atlantic Ocean and Virginia in the south, and West Virginia in the west. The state can be divided into five geographical regions.