Baltimore Economically, geographically and culturally, Baltimore is an amalgam. One of early America's busiest seaports, it was also home to the country's first important railroad terminal and was a leading manufacturing center, renowned for shipbuilding as well as airplane production.
Culturally, Baltimore's tradition of diversity dates to 1649 and the passage of the Toleration Act, which permitted the practice of all religions in Maryland. The area's air of acceptance inspired waves of Polish, German, Irish, Italian, Greek and other immigrants. The various enclaves these newcomers established made Baltimore a collection of diverse neighborhoods. ...Baltimore Overview