The History of Baltimore, Research Paper Example

Baltimore is one of the most recognized metropolitan areas in the United States. The city was founded in 1729, named after the second Lord Baltimore, Cecil Calvert. The name originates from “Baile an Tí Mhóir” an Irish name that means “town of the big house”. This was also the name of the Calvert estate in County Longford, Ireland.

The 1600s to 1950

The city’s roots can be traced to the first European expedition to Chesapeake Bay led by Captain John Smith in 1608. David Jones was the first settler in 1661 to pitch camp at the area currently constituting the current Baltimore metropolitan area, including the City of Baltimore. This area was predominantly occupied by Native American tribe’s since the 10 millennium BC.

Tobacco trade became the areas main economic activity in the late 1600s and the early 1700s, leading to the creation of the Port of Baltimore by the colonial General Assembly of Maryland in 1706. The town of Baltimore was founded in 1729, named after the first Proprietary Governor of Maryland Province, Lord Baltimore. The city was a prominent sugar granary for sugar produce from Caribbean colonies (Chapelle).

In 1893, the Pennsylvania Steel Company constructed a steel mill and shipyard in Baltimore, effectively introducing steel to the area’s economy. In February 1904, a great fire raged through downtown Baltimore, ravaging 70 blocks and destroying over 1,500 buildings. The fire led to considerable improvements in firefighting standards in the Baltimore metropolitan area. During this time, the city realized considerable expansion as it annexed sections of neighboring counties.

In 1916, Bethlehem Steel bought the steel mill and shipyard from the Pennsylvania Steel Company. The company turned the mill into a thriving businesses, leading to the creation of the Sparrow Point residential community. By 1933, this community, dominated by Bethlehem steel workers, had started moving into Baltimore and Dundalk as a result of high population growth rate caused by the growing number of employees (Neal, Rockel and Hughes). The economy realized considerable growth during the 1930s, following the growing demand for steel and textile fueled by World War II.

The growing rate of immigration into the larger Baltimore areas led to a considerable decrease in living standards within the city of Baltimore. The high population growth was exerting a growing and intense pressure on resources. This ushered in the next significant phase of change within the city.

1950s

From the onset of the 50’s, Boston depicted trends within its economy and demographic that would signify the socio-economic state of metropolitan area in the 60s and the 21^st century. The 1950 was a period of tremendous socio-economic transformation that was a culmination of external and internal factors. This period marked changes that have since been imprinted on Baltimore’s culture.

Employment

World War II had sparked rapid economic growth in Baltimore, fueled by the demand for steel. The steel mill in Baltimore experienced the highest surge in its number of employed between 1953 and 1959. By 1959, the mill had reached a record 35,000 employees in its payroll. During the 1950s employment opportunities within the Baltimore area rapidly increased, ushering in a wave of available labor every year.

Changing Demographic

Thin increasing number of employment opportunities offered immigrants and the minority African-American population the prospect of receiving unionized income, potentially saving and offer their families better education and living standards. This attracted an increasing number of African-Americans into the Baltimore area. By 1950 the population had peaked 950,000, 24% of whom were of African-American decent (US Bureau of the Census). This influx in the African-American population in Baltimore led to the middle class and more affluent white population to move into the suburbs. This massive exodus left downtown Baltimore predominantly African-American while the suburbs were predominantly white.

Drugs

The city of Baltimore was a small hub for a heroin addicts before the 1950s. While initially few addicts could be spotted along the city’s streets, this population grew in the 1950s (Lyman). The number of young white heroin users and addicts skyrocketed during this time. The drug back marketed expanded rapidly during this time.

Civil Rights

Baltimore was the center stage for civil rights movements in the 1950s. The city was the home town for Martin Luther King’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The city’s local communities and churches frequently mobilized rallies to protest against the middle-class and poor black population.

Decaying Society

The rapid changes in Baltimore’s demographic from the 1940s through the mid-50s led to considerable shift within the fabric of society. This decay was a culmination of a number of problems that were associated with the disproportionate and unplanned nature of population movement. The rapid increase in the African-American population in Baltimore’s downtown area, coupled by the shift of the more affluent white population to suburban areas led to a rapid change in the economic conditions within the center of Baltimore (McDougall).

The increasing rate of poverty led to the rapid increase in drug use and crime. This led to the introduction of attempts to redevelop and improve downturn Baltimore. By 1954, about 20,000 substandard homes were upgraded to the required minimum standards. One of the most significant development to be made in this regard was the formation of the Greater Baltimore Group. This group was made up of influential and wealthy businessmen within the Baltimore area, working with local authorities and agencies to create, manage and monitor civic programs designed to assist the less fortunate within Baltimore.

Baltimore and National Trends in the 1950

Baltimore, in the 1950s, was affected by a number of socio-economic trends that were not specific to the area. The conditions and trends within Boston’s society as well as economy were reflected in a number of areas throughout the United States. As a matter of fact, owing to the strategic position of Baltimore, it may have been particularly susceptible to this national trends.

Employment

The 1950s was a period of considerable economic growth and development. Employment during this time employment experienced a considerable rise, instigated by the demand of manufactured goods during World War II. Boston depicted similar trends in its employment, with the significant difference being the total number of females employed. Nationwide, the number of women employed between 1950 and 1959 increased by 18% as a result of most men having gone to war. Since this was after the war, women retained employment opportunities as a result of the competencies they had developed during the time. Baltimore did not experience a considerable surge in its male population as a result of the high production of the steel mills present at the time.

Demographic Shifts

The demographic of the United States changed considerably in the 1950s. This was characterized by the movement of individuals from the country into the cities. Many low income families moved from the country to the cities to find employment in the manufacturing industries as well as the fast growing business services industry. This shift was mainly influenced by racial and social segregation (Hall, Bibbins and Andrews). However, this period also realized vast suburbanization of the white population in the United States. The economic growth realized as a result of increased manufacturing during this period highly favored the more affluent white population.

As a result of the influx of population in the cities, a majority of the white population moved to the suburbs. This was facilitated by the availability of credit through the Federal Housing Administration and Veteran’s Administration mortgage programs. These programs availed mortgages to growing middle class families. This led to the rapid growth of population, growing by 28 million between 1950 and 1959. Baltimore depicted similar trends in demographic shifts. However, this area may have been particularly prone to this external force as a result of its strategic resources to World War II. The steel mill at Sparrow Point led to an influx in population seeking employment. The growing production of the mill also made the Baltimore metropolitan area prone to population influx.

Civil Rights Movement

The civil right movement in the 950s had grown to be a considerably strong social and political force within the United States. Martin Luther King had led a number of successful civil rights movement boycotts, including the 1955 Montgomery bus boycotts that lasted 50 weeks. Baltimore was also a center of the civil rights movement, being host to a number of colored civil rights movements. This was largely influenced by the growing African-American population in downtown Baltimore.

Drugs and Related Social Vices

This period also marked a time of growth within the drugs black market. Hard drugs, such as cocaine and heroin started finding their way into the country. Production became localized within particular states, especially those with a high population of immigrants (Lyman). This was particularly evident in Baltimore. However, drugs were introduced predominantly by the white population as these drugs could only be accessible to those who could afford it.

1960s to the Present

The population of Baltimore’s African-American community continued to grow, reaching 46.4% in 1970. This was a contributing factor in the magnitude of the Baltimore Riot of 1968 after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (Neal, Rockel and Hughes). However, the population experienced a considerable decline between 1950 and the late 2000s. This is depicted in the table below:

(US Bureau of the Census; U.S. Census Bureau)

The large disparities between the races in Baltimore has since the 1960s been a problem. The city has failed to institute a balance as a result of the poor African-American population at the heart of Baltimore (Fee and Shopes). A number of initiatives have been developed to solve this problem with little effects. The city has repeatedly experienced social unrest and turmoil. In 174, police officers, teachers and municipal workers independently organized strikes citing poor living standards and are largely biased system, based on race.

However, the city has experienced a number of developments that have improved economic and social conditions in some of the initially dilapidated areas of the town. The Maryland Science Center, Baltimore World Trade Center and Baltimore Convention Center were built in 1976, 1977 and 1979 respectively, improving the profile of the city. The city of Baltimore and the Baltimore Metropolitan area has recently come under scrutiny after the fatal shooting of Freddie Gray while in the custody of the police. The incident caused unrest in the city, leading to numerous battles between the police and angry residents in the streets of Baltimore. This raised concern over the state and condition of racism within the larger Baltimore area. This has become of Baltimore’s chronic problems in the recent past.

In conclusion, Baltimore has rich history that defines the metropolitan area as a significant part of the American History. The area experienced considerable changes in the 1950s that have since affected its socio-economic structure. Immigration has created a racially divided demographic and settlement design. This has led to a number of social problems such as crime and poverty within the downtown Baltimore area.

Works Cited

Chapelle, Suzanne E. G. Baltimore: An Illustrated History. Sun Valley: American Historical Press, 2000. Print.

Fee, Elizabeth and Linda Shopes. Baltimore book : new views of local history. Philadelphia: Temple Univ Press, 1994. Print.

Hall, Clayton C, et al. Baltimore: Its History and Its People. Vol. 1. Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 2014. Print.

Lyman, Michael D. Drugs in society : causes, concepts, and control. 7th. Waltham: Anderson Publishing, 2014. Print.

McDougall, Harold A. Black Baltimore: A New Theory of Community. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1993. Print.

Neal, Brooks A, Eric G Rockel and William C Hughes. A History of Baltimore County. Friends of the Towson Library, 1979. Print.

U.S. Census Bureau. “Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000.” Censue Report. 2001. Electronic Source. 9 May 2015. <http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf>.

US Bureau of the Census. Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990. 27 March 1995. Online Source. 9 May 2015. <http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/md190090.txt>.