BALTIMORE (ante), the chief city in Maryland. The colonial assembly in 1729 passed a bill forlaving out a town in Baltimore co., on the n. side of the Patapsco. The earliest patent for land there was by Charles Gorsuch, a quaker, who received 59 acres on Whetstone Point, in 1662. Twenty years later David Jones settled on the n. side of the harbor, giving his name to the stream known as "Jones's Falls," which divides the "old" from the "new" towns. In Jan., 1730, a small town was lOcated n. of Jones' Falls, and named B., in honor of Calveri, lord B. At the same period William Fell, a ship-builder, settled at Fell's point, and two years later another town was projected and natned after David Jones. That town was joined to B. in 1745, dropping its name. 13y successive unions these little settlements passed into B.. and in 1752 the future city had about two 407.4:11 houses and '20 inhabitartts. lu 17;10, a number of the peopla expelled from Nova Scotia came to B. ; in 1767B. was made the county seat, and the usual courts were established, a court-house being built on the of the present battle monu ment, standing, with its antiquated whipping-post near by, until 1808. The first news paper was begun iu 1773, a theater was built, and a stage line to Philadelphia and New York established. When the revolution came, B. had about 570 houses, and nearly 6000 inhabitants. In 1776, the continental or provincial congress, fearing British interference at Philadelphia, met in B. in quarters thus described by John Adams: "The congress sit in the last house at the w. end of Market street, on the s. side of the street, in a long chamber, with two fire-places, two large closets, and two doors. The house belongs to a quaker, who built it for a tavern." A custom-house was opened in 1780, and a market in 1784, in which year a few oil lamps were set in the main streets, and watchmen were employed. Trade and commerce began soon after peace, and the city grew rapidly. Though originally a Roman Catholic colony, there came, after the revolution, a number of enterprising Scotch-Irish Protestants, whose energy and means were of great value to the city. Stage lines and packets were established to distant places, turnpikes pro
jected, and in 1789 the course of Jones' Falls within the city was changed, and the original bed of the stream filled in. In 1792, there was an accession to the population of many refugees from San Domingo. By 1796, the inhabitants numbered 20,000, and B. was made a city and chose a mayor. During the last war with Great Britain, a force under col. Ross advanced against B., Sept. 12, 1814, and a sharp conflict ensued, in which the English colonel was slain; but the Americans were defeated with heavy loss, Still the projected assault on the city was abandoned. The entrance to the port of B. is defended by fort McHenry, on the point of land between the harbor and the Patapsco. It was during an unsuccessful bombardment of this fort by the British fleet, in 1814, that Prancis Key, an American prisoner on one of the English ships, composed the celebrated " Star-Spangled Banner." The city became conspicuous early in the civil war. April 19, 1861, a portion of the 6th Massachusetts and 7th Pennsylvania regi ments was mobbed while passing through the city, and in the contest, nine citizens and two soldiers were killed, and three citizens and 23 soldiers wounded. No more troops were sent through 13. until the city was put under military rule.
B. is on undulating ground, covering about 10,000 acres, 41 m. from e. to w., and 3} from n, to south. It is almost equally divided by Jones' Falls, which is crossed by sev eral bridges. The region e. of the stream is nominally divided into two parts, Old Town and Fell's Point. The Point is the resort of seamen, and a place of ship-building and manufacturing. On the w. of Jones' Falls are the city proper and Spring Garden, the former being the center of trade and the home of the wealthiest citizens: the latter inhabited by the poorer classes and once noted for rowdyism; "My name is Jake Key ser; I was born in Spring Garden," is a song not yet forgotten.