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The Maryland History and Culture Bibliography

Handwerker, Tom. "Something is Fishy Down on the Farm." Heartland of Del-Mar-Va 13 (Harvest 1991): 18-19.

Kester, John G. "Charles Polke: Indian Trader of the Potomac." Maryland Historical Magazine 90 (Winter 1995): 446-65.

Abingbade, Harrison Ola. "The Settler-African Conflicts: The Case of the Maryland Colonists and the Grebo 1840-1900." Journal of Negro History 66 (Summer 1981): 93-109.

Alpert, Jonathan L. "The Origin of Slavery in the United States: The Maryland Precedent." American Journal of Legal History 14 (1970): 189-222.
Notes: Maryland was the "first province in English North America to recognize slavery as a matter of law" (189). Therefore, the study of Maryland is useful for historians studying how American slavery was a product of the law. Early legislation recognized the existence of slavery, for while indentured servitude and slavery co-existed, and the terms were used interchangeably, the law still distinguished between the two. "All slaves were servants but not all servants were slaves" (193). However, it wasn't until 1664 when a statue was created which established slavery as hereditary. This statute was the first law in English North American to thus establish this type of slavery, legalizing what had been de facto since 1639. The author concludes that laws reflect the attitudes of a society and the manner in which societal problems are resolved. In the case of Maryland, servant problems could be avoided by replacing indentured servitude with perpetual slavery.

Berlin, Ira. Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in North America. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998.

Craven, Wesley Frank. White, Red, and Black: The Seventeenth-Century Virginian. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 1971.
Notes: Remains the standard multi-cultural work for the 17th century.

"Selected Readings on Afro-Americans and Maryland's Eastern Shore." Maryland Pendulum 5 (Fall/Winter 1985): 6-7.

Wilson, Emily Wanda. The Public Education of Negroes on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. M.A. thesis, Howard University, 1948.

Adkins, J. Howard, and Louise H. Adkins. Memories of Barren Creek Springs and Hotel, Wicomico County, Maryland. Salisbury, MD: Published by the authors, 1986.

Blake, Allison. The Chesapeake Bay Book: A Complete Guide. 3rd edition. Lee, MA: Berkshire House Publishers, 1997.
Notes: A well researched tour guide for the general population.

Blumgart, Pamela James, ed. At the Head of the Bay: A Cultural and Architectural History of Cecil County, Maryland. Elkton, MD: Cecil Historical Trust, 1996.
Notes: This beautifully illustrated book presents a history of the development of the county along with a history of its architecture, including house forms, methods of construction, and outbuildings, along with brief write-ups on 700 historic sites.

Cooper, Richard W. Profile of a Colonial Community: Salisbury Towne and Wicomico County on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1986.

Cooper, Richard W. Salisbury in Times Gone By. Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1991.

Earle, Swepson. The Chesapeake Bay Country. Baltimore: Thomsen-Ellis Company, 1923.
Notes: Divided into three regions -- southeastern Maryland, Upper Bay, and the Eastern Shore, this work includes a history for each, written by five noted authors, followed by a description of the counties in each, along with places of interest and the people of these places. The histories of the areas places special emphasis on major houses and genealogy of the owners. It is nicely illustrated with contemporary photographs, which nearly 80 years later serve as historic images. There are four pages of interesting photos of African Americans.

Erickson, Marie Anne. "Crossroads: Yellow Springs." Frederick Magazine (December 1992): 12-13.

Gardner, Betty K. "Wicomico County." Heartland of Del-Mar-Va 10 (Spring 1985): 36-43.

Harp, David W., and Tom Horton. Water's Way: Life Along the Chesapeake. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000.
Notes: A photo essay on the environmental plight of the Eastern Shore, special attention is paid to the area's natural history and the life of the watermen.

Hoffman, Charles W. "The Indian Names of Frederick County." Historical Society of Frederick County, Inc., Newsletter (May 1991): 2.

Jacob, John E. Wicomico County and Delmar in Vintage Postcards. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Press, 1999.

Jacob, John E. "The Port of Salisbury." Heartland of Del-Mar-Va 12 (Fireside1989-90): 76-79.

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