WELCOMING MARYLAND DAY AND THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING
Welcome to the months that introduce Spring! March and April were very important to our ancestors coming out of the cold and dreary months of Winter. So many famous literary pieces celebrate the arrival of Spring and so many armies renewed their campaigns with the arrival of better weather.
Maryland Day on March 25 commemorated the beginnings of our colony and state in 1634. We are looking forward to our state’s 400th birthday in eight years, but our history partners around the state found ways this year to give the spirit of Maryland Day special attention during the 250th Anniversary.
Hats off to the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House & Museum in Baltimore. On February 12, Mary Pickersgill, the creator of the Star-Spangled Banner, was 250 years old. Born in Philadelphia a few months before America’s Declaration of Independence, Ms. Pickersgill later moved to Baltimore. She and her family sewed together the large flag that flew over Ft. McHenry and was immortalized by Francis Scott Key. The Flag House remembered her with special events on her birthday. Learn more here: www.flaghouse.org
We are also saluting the National Road Museum in Boonsboro. This new museum commemorates the 170 miles of Maryland toll road that kicked off America’s first national government project in 1811. The 620-mile National Road from Cumberland, MD to Vandalia, IL was completed by 1838. The National Road was the first serious piece of our country’s very extensive road system. This museum is worth a visit to see how our love affair with the nation’s highways developed. Explore more about the museum here: http://nationalrdfoundation.org
Maryland’s most important Revolutionary battle was fought in southern Maryland 250 years ago this July. During the Batlle of St. George’s Island, Virginia Governor Lord Dunmore and an invading force, for the first time reinforced by self-emancipated people, sailed up the Potomac River seeking to establish a base of operations. St. Mary’s County militia prevented the force from landing and kept Lord Dunmore from planting a British base in Maryland. A visit to Piney Point Lighthouse and Museum is a good introduction to this beautiful spot on the Potomac River.
Our Maryland Mosaic Project commemorates 150 Maryland historic “Firsts” not only in the state but also in the entire nation. For more information about all of Maryland’s Firsts go to: www.marylandmosaic.org
