In national affairs Maryland, at an early date, took a stand which had far-reaching consequences. Her delegates refused to sign the Articles of Confederation until the States claiming terri tory between the Allegheny mountains and the Mississippi and north of the Ohio—Virginia, New York, Massachusetts and Con necticut—should surrender their claims. Her opposition caused those States to yield, and strengthened the Union because it brought into the possession of the United States the first territory in which all the States had a common interest and out of which new States could be created. In the War of 1812 Havre de Grace and Frenchtown were burned by the British, but Baltimore was successfully defended at North Point against a formidable attack by a British army, and a strong British fleet failed to reduce Fort McHenry after a bombardment of 24 hours. The latter event inspired Francis Scott Key, who was detained aboard a British vessel, to compose "The Star-Spangled Banner." In 1861 Maryland was divided on the question of secession, the southern and eastern parts generally favouring the cause of the seceding States; but the majority in the northern and western counties, as well as the fact that the State lay north of Washington and quickly came under the control of the Federal Government, kept the State from joining the Confederacy. Maryland was, however, opposed to coercing the seceded States. Maryland was twice invaded by Southern armies, but the only battle of im portance fought on her soil was that of Antietam or Sharpsburg on Sept. 16 and 17, 1862.
Since the Civil War, the State's history is a record of quiet but steady progress. A boundary dispute of more than zoo years duration was settled in 1879 when Maryland and Virginia agreed to accept the award of a commission of arbitrators. Possibly the greatest disaster that ever befell the State occurred in Feb. 1904, when a fire destroyed the business district of Baltimore, burning more than 1,30o buildings in the heart of the city. But a new and modernized city soon appeared.
The State was in the forefront of World War activities, from the time the United States declared war on April 6, 1917. The total contribution by the State to the military and naval forces of the United States was about 63,000: approximately 52,000 to the army, io,000 to the navy and 1,200 to the marine corps.
In 1930 the age-old dispute between Maryland and Virginia over the boundary along the bed of the lower Potomac river and adjacent waters was settled in accordance with the findings of two investigators, appointed by the governor of each State. The bound ary was set to run from headland to headland, touching in each case the low-water mark on the Virginia shore. Various attempts had been made to settle this dispute since the early days of the colonies. In view of the value of the submerged lands as oyster beds it had become known as "the oyster war." As between political parties, from 1820 to 1860 the Whigs were dominant, while from 1866 until 1934 Democrats enjoyed control except for two brief periods. Roosevelt carried the State by a 5 to 3 vote in 1932; but Governor Ritchie was de feated for a fifth term in 1934 by his Republican rival, Harry W. Nice.
In 1933, the Maryland legislature ratified the Twenty-First Amendment repealing Federal prohibition, the popular vote of the State having favoured such action by 5 to 1. On May 3o, 1934,
there was observed in Baltimore the three hundredth anniversary of the founding of Maryland.
BnillooRAPHY.—One of the latest historical and biographical works dealing with Maryland is The Tercentenary History of Maryland 0925), by M. P. Andrews. A concise history of the State is J. M. Gambrill's Leading Events of Maryland History (revised 1917). Other works dealing with history in general or with special topics are: F. S. Adams, Taxation in Maryland, Johns Hopkins University Studies (Iwo), an historical account of the sources of the State's revenue and the administration of its taxing system ; A. V. Bryan, History of State Banking in Maryland, Johns Hopkins University Studies (I899), a careful study of the State's experience with banks from 1790 to 1864; J. L. Bozman, History of Maryland from 1633 to 166o (1837), a com pilation of much of the more important material relating to the early history of the province ; J. V. L. McMahon, An Historical View of the Government of Maryland from its Colonization to the Present Day (1833), an able treatment of the subject by a learned jurist; J. T.
Scharf, History of Maryland (1879), the most extensive general history of the State, but containing numerous errors and poorly arranged; W.
H. Browne, Maryland: the History of a Palatinate (1884 and 5895), an excellent outline of the colonial history ; N. D. Mereness, Maryland as a Proprietary Province (igoi), a constitutional history of the prov ince in the light of its industrial and social development, with a bibli ography; and B. C. Steiner, Maryland during the English Civil War (1906–o7), one of the Johns Hopkins University Studies. Two able articles with valuable critical essays on sources are found in the volumes of J. Winsor's Narrative and Critical History of America; the first by W. T. Bantly, "The English in Maryland, 1632-1691" in vol. iii., and the second by J. Winsor, "Maryland and Virginia" in vol. v. Source material is found in the Archives of Maryland, edit. by W. H. Browne (5883-87) ; in Revolutionary Records of Maryland by G. M. Brun bough and M. R. Hodges (1924) ; and in the Annual Reports and Publications of the Maryland Historical Society.
The best source of ready information respecting the State's officials and governmental organization is The Maryland Manual, A Com pendium, of Legal, Historical and Statistical Information (yearly). Other sources are the Annotated Code of Public Civil Law; the Indus trial Directory of the State board of labour and statistics ; and the reports of the State board of education, the treasurer and the public utility commission. The Fifteenth United States Census, the 1933 Census of Manufactures and the 1935 Census of Agriculture contain statistical information regarding the State. The physical features and economic sources are treated in the Publications of the Maryland Geo logical Survey (1897 et seq.). In the latter are also historical studies of the Baltimore-Penn controversy leading to the Mason & Dixon line. See also Old Maps and Map Makers and County Boundaries by E. B.
Mathews. (A. C. R.)