Hi guys today I will be taking you through my hometown city. Baltimore. In 1729, the city of Baltimore was established and named after the Irish barony of Baltimore (seat of the Calvert family, proprietors of Maryland’s colony). In the early days, it was used as a port for shipping tobacco and grains, and then local waterways were harnessed for the purpose of milling flour. It was a thriving seaport and a shipbuilding center at the outbreak of the American Revolution. Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” after successfully defending the nearby Fort McHenry from British forces during the War of 1812; many of Baltimore’s neighborhoods have long histories. Several National Register Historic Districts can be found in Baltimore, including Fell’s Point, Federal Hill, and Mount Vernon. As a colony, Maryland’s streets were named in a manner that emphasized loyalty to its mother country, such as Charles, Queen, and King George streets.[34] Baltimore’s professional sports teams are the Orioles and Ravens. With tens of thousands of brick and formstone-faced rowhouses lining Baltimore’s streets, the city is organized like a grid. It was in the mid-1790s that developers began building entire neighborhoods of the British-style rowhouses, which became the predominant house type of the city early in the 19th century. Mary Ellen Hayward and Charles Belfoure considered the rowhouse as the architectural form that defined Baltimore as one of the best municipalities in the country. Our city has deep roots and many historic moments. Welcome as I explore Baltimore with you guys.