Maryland, a Mid-Atlantic state characterized by its plentiful coastlines and waterways on the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic, doesn't get as much hoopla as states like New York and Massachusetts. Yet, it's still steeped in unbridled history and charm, making the state known for blue crabs worthy of a Fun Facts post of its own. Without further ado, here are 12 interesting facts about the Old Line State: Many people mistakenly think that Baltimore is the capital of Maryland. While Baltimore is the state's largest city, Annapolis is its capital. The state is named after Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I of England and mother of Charles II and James II. One of the thirteen original colonies, Maryland is considered the birthplace of religious freedom in America, not Massachusetts. It was formed in the early 17th century as a refuge for persecuted Catholics from England by George Calvert, the first Lord of Baltimore. It became the thirteenth state to ap...

On this day in 1781, the Articles of Confederation were finally ratified. The Articles were signed by Congress and sent to the individual states for ratification on November 15, 1777, following 16 months of debate. Squabbles over land claims between Maryland and Virginia delayed final ratification for nearly four more years. Maryland finally approved the Articles on March 1, 1781, affirming the Articles as the outline of the official government of the United States. The Articles of Confederation guided the country until the implementation of the current U.S. Constitution in 1789. Less than five years after the ratification of the Articles of Confederation, many Americans agreed that the system was inadequate to the task of governance, prompting them to peacefully overthrow their second government in just over 20 years. The contrast between a group of sovereign states forming a confederation and a federal government established by a sovereign people stood at the heart of debate as the...

John Hanson (1721-1783) is sometimes called the first president of the United States. But how can this be? Wasn't George Washington the first to hold the position? Let me clear up the confusion: John Hanson was the first president of the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation. Since the presidency did not exist as an executive position separate from Congress until the federal Constitution created the role upon its ratification in 1789, Hanson did not -- and could not, even if he wanted to -- hold the position of U.S. president as we know it today. Upon the ratification of the Articles on March 1, 1781, the Continental Congress became the “Congress of the Confederation” or the “United States in Congress Assembled.” Hanson was the first president of that body, but not of the United States. Before serving as president of the Congress, he was appointed to the Maryland Colonial Assembly,  named as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress, and elected to th...

Given that I've worked in the hotel/lodging industry for over 6 years now, I enjoy studying up and learning about hotels around the world, especially those classified as historic and/or haunted. (I am, after all, a history junkie!) I thought it'd be fun to spotlight various historic hotels over the next few weeks as we draw closer to Halloween. We begin this spooktacular series on historic hotels with the Admiral Fell Inn , which is located in Baltimore, Maryland. The Fell family, Quakers from Lancaster, England, founded Fell's Point in 1730, and developed it into a shipbuilding center and busy deep-water seaport for exporting and importing. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Fell's Point was humming with exports of Maryland tobacco and grain and imports from Europe and the West Indies. By 1900, Fell's Point had devolved into a cesspool of debauchery and drunkenness known for its crime-ridden saloons and brothels. In response, the Port Mission Women...