Walkabout With Wheels Blog: Touring Historic Annapolis, Maryland with Squire Frederick

Eric and I visited Annapolis in December, 2012 on our own. Let's see what we can learn
on a tour....

The tour of Historic
Annapolis starts at
the Visitors Center.

Our tour guide, Squire Frederick is my cousin, Rick, known to many as Fred. Today's tour is his second of the spring season.

Squire Frederick

leads the way.

This is the third
Saint Anne's Church
in Annapolis.

A statue honoring

Thurgood Marshall,

Civil Rights Leader &

Attorney

The United States has grappled with its history of slavery and oppression of African Americans since the founding of our union. The Civil War ended slavery, but did not create equality for blacks. Eventually, Jim Crow Laws forced African Americans to accept unequal status in all aspects of their lives.

In 1896 the Supreme Court decided that separate but equal schools for African Americans was legal in their decision of Plessy versus Ferguson. In practice, funding for African American schools was less than for white schools. Black schools lacked desks, books, even heat. Thurgood Marshall argued before the Supreme Court in the case of Brown versus the Board of Education in 1953 that African American schools were neglected and not delivering education that was equal to the education white students received.. Substandard schools for African American students was a violation of the 14th Amendment. The Supreme Court agreed and on May 17, 1954 declared that separate educational facilities were inherently unequal and unconstitutional.

Maryland's first State House was in St. Mary's City from 1695 to 1704. The second State House was completed in 1709 in Annapolis. After 60 years, it was too small for the growing Colonial Maryland government.

This is Maryland's third
State House.

The cornerstone of this
State House was laid in 1772.

It was finally completed
in 1797.

The State House's wooden dome was built without iron nails or rods. It is the oldest and largest dome of its kind in the U.S.

The General Assembly is in

session & open to the public

in the "New" General
Assembly Chamber.

Squire Frederick brings
us to the original section
of the State House.

The interior of the dome
is made of plaster.

The "Old" Senate is where
General George Washington
resigned his commission
as Commander in Chief
of the Continental Army
on December 23, 1783.

The room has been restored to its original state and the public anxiously awaits its grand reopening.

The "Old" General Assembly

has been restored to how it
looked in the late 1800s.

An 18th century home was
built with larger stones
in is foundation.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel
Chase's home is grand.

Samuel Chase was an outspoken supporter of the American Revolution. His partisan politics alienated many. Chase became a Supreme Court Justice in 1796. He was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1804. His trial in the Senate was presided over by Vice President, Aaron Burr. The Vice President was in an interesting and awkward position in 1805. He was under indictment for murder for killing of Alexander Hamilton in a duel. After hearing the evidence provided, the Senate acquitted Chase.