Maryland History Trivia

1. The Charter for Maryland was granted by Charles I to Cecilius Calvert on:

From Quiz Maryland, my Maryland

Answer: June 20, 1632

Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore (better known as Cecil Calvert) was born August 8, 1605. He was granted a Charter for Maryland by Charles I after the death of his father, 1st Baron Baltimore, who wanted the Charter as a safe haven for English Catholics. Cecil Calvert died November 30, 1675. Maryland was named in honor of Queen Henrietta Maria.

From Quiz Greenbelt, Maryland

Answer: The New Deal.

Greenbelt, Maryland, was planned during the New Deal. This, of course, was the program created by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to pull the United States out of the Great Depression. The intention was two-fold: to provide housing for Federal employees, and to provide jobs during the construction process itself. Construction of the town was completed in 1937. One of the main proponents of the town was Eleonor Roosevelt, the First Lady, and Rexford Guy Tugwell, director of the Resettlement Administration.

From Quiz Maryland, My Maryland

Answer: James Ryder Randall

There is still controversy over this as the state song because of the song's pro-slavery context and the fact that its author was an avid southern supporter during the Civil War.

From Quiz Baltimore: City of Firsts

Answer: The Maryland Jockey Club

The Maryland Jockey Club was the beginning of the state's passion for horse racing. Maryland used to host the Belmont Stakes before it was moved to New York, and still proudly hosts Preakness as part of the Triple Crown.

From Quiz Prince George's County, MD

Answer: Airflights--it's an airport.

College Park Airport dates from 1909 and was designed by the Wright Brothers. The Federal Government was interested in training some of its military officers in how to operate flying machines or airplanes. Wilbur Wright provided training for early military pilots. Today, the adjoining College Park Aviation Museum presents this specific history as well as including several examples of early aircraft. (information from the PG Parks website)

From Quiz Maryland, my Maryland

Answer: The landing of the Ark and Dove

The Ark and Dove landed in what has become St. Mary's County on March 25, 1634 with approximately 234 settlers who founded St. Mary's City, the first permanent settlement in Maryland.

From Quiz Greenbelt, Maryland

Answer: Prince George's.

Greenbelt is located in Prince George's County, approximately 14 miles north-east of Washington, D.C. This made it a convenient location for Federal employees who commuted to Washington for work. Greenbelt was built on former tobacco fields. Tobacco growing was once an important part of the economy of Prince George's county. In fact, the county seat is Upper Marlboro!

From Quiz Maryland, My Maryland

Answer: Baltimore

It was written at Fort McHenry by Francis Scott Key who was a lawyer in Baltimore during the War of 1812.

From Quiz Baltimore: City of Firsts

Answer: Hot air balloon ascent

In 1784, Edward Warren became the first U.S. "man" to ride in a hot air balloon--he was only 13 at the time! Edward Warren was the first in the USA, but the first manned hot air balloon ride was in France a year earlier on November 21, 1783.

From Quiz Prince George's County, MD

Answer: Abraham Lincoln

The Surratt House served as a local tavern and post office in the Civil War era. Mary Surratt was found guilty and hanged - the first woman executed for murder in US history. John Surratt managed to escape abroad and was never captured. John Wilkes Booth made a stop at the house as he fled from Ford's Theater in April, 1865. Today, the Surratt House is a Museum administered by the county. The museum sponsors a "Lincoln Assassination" tour that transports participants from the Ford's Theater to the site of the tobacco warehouse where Booth was finally killed. (Information from PG Parks website).

From Quiz Maryland, My Maryland

Answer: The Civil War's bloodiest single day of fighting

This is the only major battle that took place in Maryland.

From Quiz Baltimore: City of Firsts

Answer: Hydrogen gas

This was replaced some considerable time ago by electricity.

From Quiz Prince George's County, MD

Answer: Britain

The Battle of Bladensburg in August 1814 is often described as the Bladensburg Races because of how fast the militia fled from the scene. The Marine and Naval unit performed well, but numbering several hundred, they were overwhelmed by the thousands of regulars in the British army. Once the battle was concluded, the path was clear for the British to march into Washington, DC and eventually burn the White House. (Information from the Town of Bladensburg website).

From Quiz Maryland, my Maryland

Answer: Fort McHenry

The poem was originally named "Defence of Ft. McHenry". The Star Spangled Banner later became the National Anthem - on March 3, 1931.

From Quiz Greenbelt, Maryland

Answer: Although the homes are owned privately, they are managed by a coop.

Greenbelt Homes, Inc., commonly referred to as GHI, is a cooperative which manages the origianl Greenbelt homes, and strives to maintain the original vision of neighborly cooperation, green spaces, and general quality of life. GHI was formed in 1952 when the Federal government decided to sell the homes. In addition to GHI, there are other cooperatives in Greenbelt including a Coop supermarket, a cafe (called "The New Deal Cafe"), a nursery school and a community newspaper.

From Quiz Baltimore: City of Firsts

Answer: George Washington

While the most famous Washington Monument is a short drive down I-95 to Washington, D.C., it wasn't completed until 1885. Baltimore's was started in 1815 and completed in 1829 and is just as phallic. Located in the historic neighborhood of Mount Vernon, it is open to the public on Saturdays and offers breathtaking views of the city for only a few bucks! The monument in Boonsboro Maryland was built two years before Baltimore's, in 1827.

From Quiz Greenbelt, Maryland

Answer: Five frames, depicting the Preamble to the Constituion.

Lenore Thomas, a Maryland sculptor, was hired by the Work Projects Administration (WPA) to sculpt the friezes on the side of the Greenbelt Center School. The phrase "We The People" appears over the door, and each subsequent frame illustrates an additional phrase from the Preamble to the Constitution. Her style is proleteriat, almost Soviet. In addition to the school scuptures, an sculpture by Lenore Thomas, entitled "Mother and Child", appears in the Greenbelt shopping center.

From Quiz Maryland, My Maryland

Answer: Calvert and Crossland

The black and gold checks are the arms of the Calverts while the red and white crosses are the arms of the Crosslands.

From Quiz Baltimore: City of Firsts

Answer: Steam locomotive

The Tom Thumb made its first run on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1830, and a few weeks later it became famous in a highly publicized race with a horse-drawn carriage. The horse-drawn carriage won. The first steam powered tanker was built in Baltimore, but not until 1890.

From Quiz Maryland, my Maryland

Answer: February, 1904

The Great Baltimore Fire burned for 30 hours from February 7 - February 8, 1904. It burned over 70 city blocks and destroyed over 1,500 buildings. Amazingly, there were no deaths attributed directly to the fire.

From Quiz Greenbelt, Maryland

Answer: It was constructed by its members.

The Greenbelt synagogue, originally called the Jewish Community Center and later Mishkan Torah (Dwelling place of the Torah) was physically constructed by its members. Most of the congregants were white-collar government workers and had no experience in construction work. Luckily, some neighbors with construction experience took pity on them and helped out. This is the only synagogue in the US constructed by its members.

From Quiz Maryland, My Maryland

Answer: 7th

Hopefully anyone with a state quarter knows the answer to this one. :)

From Quiz Baltimore: City of Firsts

Answer: Washington, D.C.

The first telegraphic message, sent from the Capitol building in D.C. to the railroad depot in Baltimore read, "What hath God wrought."

From Quiz Maryland, my Maryland

Answer: Theodore R. McKeldin

Theodore R. McKeldin was the 53rd Governor of the State of Maryland serving two terms from 1951-1959. He was elected Mayor of Baltimore City in 1943 and again in 1963.

From Quiz Maryland, My Maryland

Answer: Catholic

Lord Baltimore, Maryland's founder, was a devout Catholic and wanted a place free of the Church of England's control.

From Quiz Prince George's County, MD

Answer: Sears, Roebuck

Although Julius Rosenwald was not a Prince George's County resident, his fund played a big part in Prince George's County. The Rosenwald Fund assisted in the building of schools for African-American communities. The Fund matched dollars from the larger community and the African American community. The segregated Ridgeley School served African American children living near Capitol Heights until the 1950s. The School has been restored as a museum. (Information from PG Parks website and Wikipedia).

From Quiz Maryland, my Maryland

Answer: William Donald Schaefer

William Donald Schaefer actually swam with the seals at the opening of the National Aquarium in Baltimore in 1981.

From Quiz Greenbelt, Maryland

Answer: The Greenbelt News Review newspaper was sued for libel.

The Greenbelt News Review is a community newspaper delivered free of charge to Greenbelt residents on a weekly basis. All of its staffers are volunteers. In the late sixties, the newspaper reported on a City Council meeting in which a proposed agreement between local land developer Charles Bresler and the city were discussed. One participant, Marge Bergemann, described the arrangment as "a slight case of blackmail." The developer sued the paper for one million dollars for libel, while the paper claimed First Amendment privleges. The paper, defended by a lawyer provided by the Washington Post, went all the way to the Supreme Court, which upheld the right of the paper to report on public officials at public meetings.

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