Baltimore is a city with a rich and vibrant history. From its founding in 1729 to its current status as a major port and transportation hub, Baltimore has played an important role in the development of the United States. The Star Spangled Banner, our national anthem, premiered in Baltimore in 1814, and the Washington Monument was located on the grounds of “Howard's Woods” in 1835. The city was a bustling seaport and shipbuilding center at the outbreak of the American Revolution, and the first Navy ship, the Constellation, was launched in Baltimore in 1797. The Continental Congress met in Baltimore from December 1776 to March 1777 when it was feared that the British would attack Philadelphia, then the national capital. The first major league to have a team in Baltimore was the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), which had a team called the Baltimore Colts.
The city of Baltimore, along with surrounding regions, is home to a unique local dialect known as the Baltimore dialect. The Baltimore City Sheriff's Office, created by a state constitutional amendment in 1844, is responsible for the security of the city's courts and property, for the notification of court orders, protection and peace orders, court orders, taxes, the transportation of prisoners, and the enforcement of traffic laws. Baltimore also has Martin State Airport, a general aviation facility, in northeastern Baltimore County. Baltimore is home to the Pride of Baltimore Chorus, a three-time international silver medalist female choir affiliated with Sweet Adelines International. Baltimore is also home to the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball and the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the oldest railroad in the United States, was built in 1830 and consolidated Baltimore's status as a major transportation hub. The city of Baltimore hosted a Canadian Football League franchise, the Baltimore Stallions, during the 1994 and 1995 seasons. Their assets and player contracts were bought by a proprietary team led by Baltimore businessman Carroll Rosenbloom, who moved the team to Baltimore and established a new team, also called the Baltimore Colts. The city of Baltimore is protected by the more than 1,800 professional firefighters of the Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD), which was founded in December 1858 and began operating the following year. The interstate highways that serve Baltimore are I-70, I-83 (the Jones Falls Highway), I-95, I-395, I-695 (the Baltimore Ring Road), the I-795 (the Northwest Highway), the I-895 (the Harbor Tunnel Highway) and the I-97. BOPA coordinates major events in Baltimore such as New Year's Eve and 4th of July celebrations in Inner Harbor, Artscape - which is the largest free art festival in the United States - as well as other events such as The Baltimore Book Festival, The Baltimore Farmer's Market Bazaar, The School 33 Art Center's Open Studio Tour and Dr. Renovating historic theaters has been widespread throughout the city; renovated theaters include The Everyman Theater, The Center Theater, The Senator Theater and more recently The Parkway Theater. Baltimore lawyer Milton Dashiell called for an ordinance that would prohibit African Americans from moving to Eutaw Place neighborhood in northwest Baltimore.
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