This is the seventh of a series column that will look at the history of all 50 States, all 5 territories, and the Capital and the influence history has on our
current political environments. The aim of this column is to capture that
our country is not just red or blue, but rather many shades in between.
Each Lower 48 state’s current political landscape can be traced back to
its early settlement and geography and its particular involvement in the
Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, and the Civil Rights Era.
Maryland – The Old Line State
Maryland’s location serves as the de facto border between the Northern and Southern United States, unique and strategic area that has contributed greatly to its history. Few other states can dedicate their current political leanings so heavily towards their geography.
Early Formation and History
Maryland’s early formation dates back to 1634 when the colony was a refuge for Roman Catholics, a group largely persecuted in England. The region’s characteristics set the colony up early as a plantation-based economy that relied on slave labor and indentured servantry. Tobacco was the early commodity, with iron and wheat becoming key components of the state’s economy as industrialization tore across the state.
The original charter mistakenly allocated parts of Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, to Maryland. The settlement reached in 1760 defined the border that gave Maryland’s its distinct panhandle and would be known as the Mason-Dixon Line, eventually delineating free states from slave states.
Maryland ratified the Constitution in 1788 and with the final border change in 1790, 68 square miles of the state were given to form Washington, D.C.
The War of 1812 saw the attack on Fort McHenry in an attempt by the British to capture Baltimore. Francis Scott Key witnessed the siege and wrote the lyrics to the “Star Spangled Banner,” which would become the national anthem in 1931.
Maryland’s population, much like that of Delaware, was somewhat conflicted by the issue of slavery. While Maryland was much more agrarian than its northern neighbor, thus is relied on slavery more heavily, the population was intrinsically northern in some places, while others were heavily influenced by Pennsylvania’s abolitionist Quaker heritage. This led to a long series of highly competitive and close elections. Alexander Hamilton’s Federalist party demonstrated strength in the Northeastern U.S., while Thomas Jefferson Democratic-Republican party would win consistently in the South. In 1833, the state went from a Congressional district method of awarding electoral votes to Presidential candidates to the classic winner-take-all system that 48 states have today. This made elections and the state overall more contentious and more unpredictable.
Civil War
Maryland’s place in the Civil War is unique in that it remains the only state to have not exactly picked a clear side. The state never seceded from the Union, despite much popular appeal within the state due to the sheer reliance on slavery for economic reasons. Border states experienced strange identity crises during the war, but none quite as evenly divided as Maryland.
The Battle of Antietam in Sharpsburg in 1862 became the first attack on Union soil during the war and the bloodiest one-day battle in the country’s history, with more than 23,000 fatalities. It was here, after General Robert E. Lee’s retreat to Virginia, that President Abraham Lincoln (R) issued his Emancipation Proclamation.
Maryland’s deep internal division coupled with its close proximity to the Confederacy saw many Marylanders cross the Potomac to join the South. It is estimated that 25,000 Marylanders fled to the South to fight for the Confederacy.
Industrialization and Civil Rights
Industrialization was especially fortuitous to small, developed states, such as Maryland and Massachusetts. Maryland’s strategic location on the Atlantic, cut with the Potomac River, gives it excellent usage of ports and access to Europe. During the Industrial Revolution, masses of immigrants arrived in Maryland, contributing to its tectonic political shift by the turn of the century.
The manufacturing sector took the state by storm and long with vibrant ports and booming railroads, the state, as well as Baltimore, became of the nation’s economic and cultural powerhouses.
Since Maryland remained a Union state throughout the Civil War, it was never subject to Reconstruction, which flared tensions among whites who wished to regain control over freed slaves. The Great Migration saw many blacks and poor whites flee the Deep South, taking root in many I-95 Corridor cities, especially Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Both World Wars turned the state into a massive production center and home to many military bases. The resulting suburbanization from military families contributed to Maryland’s dense and sprawling population it enjoys today. Agriculture and coal would be outpaced by manufacturing, which would be outpaced by highly-educated white-collar fields. Johns Hopkins University, the NIH, FDA, federal jobs in and around the Capitol, as well large-scale demand that increased cost of living turned Maryland in a hub for biotech, information, healthcare, and government services.
Young people and immigrants flocked to the state’s attractive options, further solidifying its political shifts. What was once of the most divided states became one of the bluest.
Geography
Maryland’s regions are easily identifiable:
- Eastern Shore: Borders the Atlantic and Delaware. Consists of flat farmland and generally quiet suburban areas. Home to Chesapeake Bay and Ocean City. Generally more Republican than the state overall.
- Southern Maryland: Three counties – Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s – that are home to farmlands and Native American and prehistoric history.
- Central Region: Part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and Piedmont Plateau, industries range from mining, fishing, while historical contributions include art, culture, and medicine. Home to Baltimore and Annapolis. The most Democratic part of the state.
- Capital Region: Dense cities and suburbs that border D.C., as well as outlying farmlands. Home to a vibrant tech industry.
- Western Maryland: Three counties – Garrett, Allegany, and Washington – that make up the panhandle. Home to mountains, farmlands, and the Appalachian Trail. Garrett County is one of just 40 in the US that has never voted for a Democratic Presidential candidate. The most Republican part of the state.
Current Political Leanings
Maryland’s educated, diverse, and rich population has made it one of the most Democratic states in the country. Democrats carried the state from 1868-1892 and then again from 1904-1916. Republicans’ good economic doctrine in the 1920s allowed them to win by fairly comfortable margins in those three elections. FDR would win the state in all four of his elections from 1932-1944. Dwight Eisenhower’s (R-PA) isolationist policy proved attractive to the state in 1952 and 1956. In 1956, Eisenhower became the only candidate in history to win all 24 counties and county-equivalents. As of 2020, this is the last time the GOP would win Baltimore City.
The shift in 1960 with JFK’s (D-MA) election proved to be a watershed nationwide. Maryland would only vote for three more Republicans: Nixon in 1972, Reagan in 1984, and Bush Sr. in 1988. No Republican has come within 13% of winning the state since George Bush in 2004 and no Republican has cracked 40% of the vote since then.
The GOP has not won a Senate race since 1980 and has not held both seats since 1977. The lone GOP member of the House is Andy Harris, of the Eastern-based 1st District. Recently, he cast his first vote for Speaker of the House for Long Island’s own former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley).
The GOP recently lost control of the governorship with moderate Larry Hogan’s term-limitation in 2023. The GOP held the office from 2003-2007, but before that had not held it since 1969.
Today, Maryland boasts some interesting figures, such as 31% black population, a 15% foreign-born population, a 40% Bachelor’s Degree rate, and the highest median household income in the nation, at $81,000/year. Coupled with Baltimore’s regular rating as one of the worst cities in the country, namely among poverty, education, and crime rates, Maryland still has some internal disputes to look after.
Regardless of inroads the GOP can make in minority or educated groups, none will likely be enough to alter the formidable Democratic presence the state currently enjoys.
