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89-474: As of the 2020 census, its population was 456,815, with about 7% of Marylanders living in the region. The region is politically more conservative than the rest of the state, generally returning more votes for Republicans than Democrats in statewide and national elections. Developed in the colonial and federal period for agriculture, the Eastern Shore has remained a relatively rural region. Salisbury

178-624: A Naval ordnance test ground (at Indian Head ), electric power plants (at Aquasco and Morgantown) and an oil terminal (at Piney Point ). The towns of Solomons Island and Chesapeake Beach are tourist resorts. The Maryland International Raceway and Budds Creek Raceway near Chaptico attract many auto and motocross racing enthusiasts. Military installations in Southern Maryland include: Suburban areas of Southern Maryland also have many Washington-area military related commuters. The Southern Maryland National Heritage Area

267-673: A federal republic under the rule of law . Conservative philosophy also derives in part from the classical liberal tradition of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, which advocated laissez-faire economics (i.e. economic freedom and deregulation ). Louis Hartz argues that socialism has failed to become established in the United States because of Americans' widespread acceptance of an enduring, underlying Lockean consensus. While historians such as Patrick Allitt (born 1956) and political theorists such as Russell Kirk (1918–1994) assert that conservative principles have played

356-432: A Conservative Party. They soon merged it into the state Democratic Parties. All of the major American political parties support republicanism and the basic classical liberal ideals on which the country was founded in 1776, emphasizing liberty, the rule of law, the consent of the governed , and that all men were created equal. Political divisions inside the United States often seemed minor or trivial to Europeans, where

445-612: A balance between federal government and states' rights . Apart from some right-libertarians , American conservatives tend to favor strong action in areas they believe to be within government's legitimate jurisdiction, particularly national defense and law enforcement while opposing government intervention in social issues such as healthcare and the environment . Social conservatives —many of them religious—often oppose abortion and same-sex marriage . They often favor prayer in public schools and government funding for private religious schools . Like most political ideologies in

534-657: A balanced budget. They argue that low taxes produce more jobs and wealth for everyone, and, as President Grover Cleveland said, "unnecessary taxation is unjust taxation". A recent movement against the inheritance tax labels such a tax as a " death tax ." Fiscal conservatives often argue that competition in the free market is more effective than the regulation of industry and is the most efficient way to promote economic growth . The Republican Party has taken widely varying views on protectionism and free trade throughout its history. Others, such as some libertarians and followers of Ludwig von Mises , believe all government intervention in

623-482: A belief in individualism , traditionalism , republicanism , and limited federal governmental power in relation to U.S. states . Conservatism is one of two major political ideologies of the United States with the other being liberalism . Conservative and Christian media organizations and American conservative figures are influential, and American conservatism is a large and mainstream ideology in

712-587: A ferry terminal at Claiborne , west of St. Michaels , to Ocean City, via the Baltimore and Eastern Shore Railroad and the Wicomico and Pocomoke Railroad . Travelers could also take a ferry to Love Point on Kent Island, board a Queen Anne's Railroad train, and travel east to Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware . Automobile transportation across the Chesapeake Bay was by ferryboat until 1952, when

801-530: A few major roads; the main connection to the other parts of Maryland is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge , which carries U.S. Route 50 and U.S. Route 301 . U.S. Route 13 connects the southern part of the Eastern Shore to both Delaware and points north and Virginia and points south. The Eastern Shore of Maryland comprises Caroline , Cecil , Dorchester , Kent , Queen Anne's , Somerset , Talbot , Wicomico , and Worcester counties. These lie on

890-558: A flat, sandy area that forms the coast. The coastal plain includes the Delmarva Peninsula and hence the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The geology of Delmarva is an inseparable part of the Eastern Shore, which has few rocky outcrops south of Kent County. The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal crosses from Back Creek on the Elk River to Port Penn, Delaware . While it was a shallow canal with locks after its construction in 1829, it

979-594: A major challenge. St. Mary's City is widely considered to be the birthplace of religious freedom in North America. The colony there started under a mandate of religious tolerance in a time when England was anything but religiously tolerant. This was due to the colony's charter, which did not prohibit non- protestant churches. In 1649, the Maryland Colonial Assembly passed of one of the earliest laws requiring religious tolerance, known as

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1068-499: A major role in U.S. politics and culture since 1776, they also argue that an organized conservative movement with beliefs that differ from those of other American political parties did not emerge in the U.S. at least until the 1950s. The recent movement conservatism has its base in the Republican Party , which has adopted conservative policies since the 1950s; Southern Democrats also became important early figures in

1157-614: A monarchy, an established church, or a hereditary aristocracy. American conservatism is best characterized as a reaction against utopian ideas of progress and European political philosophy from before the end of World War II . Russell Kirk saw the American Revolution itself as "a conservative reaction, in the English political tradition, against royal innovation". In the 2022 book The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism , Matthew Continetti noted that

1246-756: A more militaristic , interventionist foreign policy aimed at promoting democracy abroad, which stands in stark contrast to Paleoconservatisms more isolationist foreign policy. Neoconservatives often name communism and Islamism as the biggest threats to the free world. They often oppose the United Nations for interfering with American unilateralism. National conservatism focuses on upholding national and cultural identity . National conservatives strongly identify with American nationalism , patriotism , and American exceptionalism , while opposing internationalism , globalism , and multiculturalism . The movement seeks to promote national interests through

1335-505: A professor of history at Mount Holyoke College , wrote: Here was no lover of government by plutocracy, no dreamer of an America filled with factions and hard-packed cities. Here was a man who loved America as it was and had been, one whose life was a doughty testament to the trials and glories of ordered liberty. Here ... was the model of the American conservative. Southern Maryland Southern Maryland , also referred to as SoMD ,

1424-614: A smaller government is known as starve the beast . Activist Grover Norquist is a well-known proponent of the strategy and has famously said, "My goal is to cut government in half in twenty-five years, to get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub." The argument in favor of balanced budgets is often coupled with a belief that government welfare programs should be narrowly tailored and that tax rates should be low, which implies relatively small government institutions. Neoconservatism emphasizes foreign policy over domestic policy. Its supporters, mainly war hawks , advocate

1513-512: A state delegate seat in district 37A. Ocean City 's skyline, containing tall hotels and condominiums, stands out within Delmarva . At the southern end of the town, a recreational boardwalk spans over thirty blocks, containing carnival rides and games, restaurants, bars, arcades, and clothing boutiques. Tourists visit St. Michaels on a neck surrounded by water; the colonial former port of Oxford ; Chestertown ; and isolated Smith Island in

1602-563: A state encompassing the Delmarva Peninsula . The 1998 proposal by state Senators Richard F. Colburn and J. Lowell Stoltzfus did not specify a status for Eastern Shore's nine counties following secession, but suggested the new state's name could be "Delmarva". The Delmarva Shorebirds are a minor league baseball team who play Class A baseball in the Carolina League at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Salisbury , affiliated with

1691-446: A steady flow of "prescription and prejudice". Kirk's use of the word "prejudice" here is not intended to carry its contemporary pejorative connotation: a conservative himself, he believed that the inherited wisdom of the ages may be a better guide than apparently rational individual judgment. Through much of the 20th century, a primary force uniting the varied strands of conservatism, and uniting conservatives with liberals and socialists,

1780-406: A strong national defense , gun rights , capital punishment , and a defense of Western culture from perceived threats posed by communism , Islamism and moral relativism . American conservatives may question epidemiology , climate change , and evolution more frequently than moderates or liberals . In the United States, " conservative " is often used very differently from the way it

1869-543: A study of human experience. On this point we are, without reservations, on the conservative side. According to Peter Viereck , American conservatism is distinctive because it was not tied to a monarchy, landed aristocracy, established church, or military elite. Instead American conservatives were firmly rooted in American republicanism , which European conservatives opposed. They are committed, says Seymour Martin Lipset , to

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1958-581: Is a geographical, cultural and historic region in Maryland composed of the state's southernmost counties on the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay . According to the state of Maryland, the region includes all of Calvert , Charles , and St. Mary's counties and the southern portions of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties. It is largely coterminous with the region of Maryland that

2047-509: Is considered to be the first English settlement within the Province of Maryland . Talbot County was formed in 1662. Cecil County was formed in 1674, by proclamation of the Governor, from eastern portions of Baltimore County and the northern portion of Kent County. Wicomico County was formed in 1867, as the 9th and last county, created from Somerset and Worcester counties. Ocean City

2136-404: Is contained within Maryland's 5th congressional district , which has been represented by Rep. Steny Hoyer since 1981. Maryland's two U.S. senators are Chris van Hollen (junior) and Ben Cardin (senior). Oysters are still widely available although they were once fished from the bay and its tidal tributaries in greater numbers, and are served either fried, raw, or stuffed. " Rockfish ",

2225-446: Is home to a fishing, crabbing, and seafood processing industry. In the 21st century, the main economic activities on the Eastern Shore are vegetable and grain farming , seafood , large-scale chicken breeding ( Perdue Farms was founded in Salisbury and is still headquartered there today), and tourism . Tobacco was the chief commodity crop during colonial times. The agricultural economy switched to mixed products, including grain, in

2314-667: Is part of the Washington metropolitan area . Portions of the region are also part of the Baltimore Metropolitan Area and the California - Lexington Park Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 Census , the region had a population of 373,177. The largest community in Southern Maryland is Waldorf , with a population of 81,410 as of the 2020 Census. The first European settlement in Maryland

2403-620: Is the most populous community on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The region's economy is dominated by three industry sectors: fishing along the coasts, especially for shellfish such as the blue crab ; farming, especially large-scale chicken farms; and tourism, especially centered on the Atlantic coast and beach resort of Ocean City . Because of its coastal and low-lying geography, the region is vulnerable to extreme weather events, including hurricanes and larger environmental issues like climate change and rising sea levels . The region contains

2492-537: Is used in Europe. Following the American Revolution , Americans rejected the then core ideals of European conservatism, which were based on landed nobility , hereditary monarchy , established churches , and powerful armies. Conservatives in the United States historically view individual liberty within the bounds of conservative values as the fundamental trait of democracy . They typically believe in

2581-678: The American Civil War , when Maryland ratified a new Constitution that abolished slavery. During the American Revolutionary War , British forces landed on St. George Island in St. Mary's County on July 15, 1776, under the command of John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore . Dunmore's forces were defeated by local Flying Camp militia led by Captain Rezin Beall , and they left the island on August 9, 1776. During

2670-589: The American Revolutionary War , the War of 1812 , and the American Civil War . Much of the area remains rural, however the region saw suburban growth in the late 20th and early 21st centuries as Washington's suburbs expanded southward. In 2023, the region was designated as the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area. Counties located in Southern Maryland include Calvert County , Charles County , St. Mary's County , and

2759-577: The Baltimore Orioles . County seats: Conservatism in the United States Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Conservatism in the United States is based on

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2848-720: The Civil War by local companies; by the late nineteenth century, all were controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad (which also bought control of the steamboat and ferry routes), then Conrail and Norfolk Southern . Today the remaining active railroad tracks on the Eastern Shore are operated by short-line railroads Delmarva Central Railroad and the Maryland and Delaware Railroad . Commercial east–west ties between Delaware towns and Maryland towns were culturally significant in Colonial and Early American periods despite

2937-494: The Maryland Toleration Act of 1649 . After 61 years as Maryland's capital an uprising of Protestants put an end to religious tolerance, overthrowing the old Catholic leadership and putting an end to colonial St. Mary's City itself, moving the colonial capital to Annapolis . St. Mary's City was abandoned as a capital but was slowly consolidated from smaller farms into a large, single slave plantation by

3026-522: The Mason–Dixon line forms the border between Maryland and Delaware. The border was originally marked every mile by a stone, and every five miles by a "crownstone". The line is not quite due north and south, but is as straight as survey methods of the 1760s could make it. It was surveyed as a compromise solution to a century-long wrangle over colonial territory between the Penn and Calvert families of England. If

3115-480: The Potomac River with Virginia took place, including of Maryland men volunteering for Confederate service . John Wilkes Booth was helped by several people in his escape through the area and in crossing the river after killing President Abraham Lincoln . Thousands of captured Confederate troops were confined in harsh conditions at Point Lookout Prison Camp at the southern tip of the peninsula. During

3204-437: The Republican Party and nation. As of 2021, 36 percent of Americans consider themselves conservative, according to polling by Gallup, Inc. Conservatism in the United States is not a single school of thought. According to American philosopher Ian Adams, all major American parties are " liberal and always have been. Essentially they espouse classical liberalism , that is a form of democratized Whig constitutionalism plus

3293-955: The St. Mary's Peninsula and the Calvert Peninsula . Geologic formations of the Chesapeake Group can be found in Southern Maryland, including the Calvert Formation , the St. Marys Formation , and the Choptank Formation . Many of these formations are present at the Calvert Cliffs State Park in Calvert County. Southern Maryland is within the Atlantic Coastal Plain physiographic region. Southern Maryland

3382-877: The Thomas Stone National Historic Site , Historic St. Mary's City , and Port Tobacco Village , among others. Museums in the area include the Calvert Marine Museum , and the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum . Waterfront sites along the Chesapeake Bay , the Potomac River , and the Patuxent River are also tourist attractions. These include Mallows Bay , the Mallows Bay–Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary , and Solomon's Island . The entire region

3471-480: The free market . The point of difference comes with the influence of social liberalism ". American conservatives tend to support Christian values , moral absolutism , and American exceptionalism , while opposing abortion , euthanasia , and some LGBT rights (depending on the politicians). They tend to favor economic liberalism , and are generally pro- business and pro- capitalism , while opposing communism and labor unions . They often advocate for

3560-452: The nuclear family . There are two overlapping subgroups of social conservatives: the traditional and the religious. Traditional conservatives strongly support traditional codes of conduct, especially those they feel are threatened by social change and modernization. Religious conservatives focus on conducting society based on the morals prescribed by fundamentalist religious authorities, rejecting secularism and moral relativism . In

3649-692: The 1980s preached traditional moral and religious social values. The history of American conservatism has been marked by tensions and competing ideologies. During the era of Ronald Reagan , a coalition of ideologies was formed that was known as "the Three Leg Stool " — the three legs being social conservatives (consisting of the Christian right and paleo-conservatives ), war hawks (consisting of interventionists and neoconservatives ), and fiscal conservatives (consisting of right-libertarians and free-market capitalists ), with overlap between

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3738-600: The American conservative movement has been fractured for a century. Political conservatives have emphasized an identification with the Founding Fathers of the United States and the U.S. Constitution . Scholars of conservative political thought "generally label John Adams as the intellectual father of American conservatism". Russell Kirk points to Adams as the key Founding Father for conservatives, saying that "some writers regard him as America's most important conservative public man". In 1955, Clinton Rossiter ,

3827-720: The British launched a campaign in the Chesapeake region . British forces landed in Benedict , Charles County on August 19, 1814. Intent on marching to Washington , the British marched to Upper Marlboro before engaging American troops at the Battle of Bladensburg . The battle resulted in a British victory. By nightfall on August 24, 1814, British forces entered Washington and burned several government buildings . The British then marched back to Benedict. Similarly to what occurred in

3916-663: The Chesapeake Bay. North of Crisfield is Janes Island State Park , with camping and kayaking trails through marshlands. Cambridge continues to be a popular destination for tourism because of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge , the Hyatt Chesapeake Bay Resort, Spa & Marina, and the Harriet Tubman National Park. At the southern end of the Chesapeake coast of Maryland, the town of Crisfield

4005-559: The Chesapeake Bay/Delaware Bay watershed divide had been taken as the borderline, the state of Delaware would be about half its current size. William Claiborne was granted land that was then part of the Colony of Virginia in 1629. He named it "Kent County". In 1631, he sailed north up the Chesapeake Bay from its south and west side to the area known today as Kent Island . There he made a fortified settlement that

4094-633: The Eastern Shore overall. At the presidential level, the Eastern Shore also leans Republican. But Kent and Somerset counties have flipped back and forth in supporting Democratic and Republican presidential candidates. The last Democrat to win Dorchester County was Bill Clinton from Arkansas in 1996 . Cecil County has not gone Democratic since Jimmy Carter from Georgia won the county in 1976 . Queen Anne's, Caroline, Wicomico, and Worcester counties have voted Republican at every election subsequent to Lyndon Johnson's landslide . Up until 2020, this

4183-625: The Eastern Shore: The two major highways on the Eastern Shore are U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 50 , which meet in Salisbury . Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport , in Salisbury, is the only commercial airport on the Delmarva Peninsula . Airports for private aircraft include: The Eastern Shore has made several attempts to separate from Maryland. Proposals were debated in Maryland's General Assembly in 1833–1835, 1852, and 1998. There were earlier proposals visualizing

4272-587: The Revolutionary War, enslaved Marylanders fled to British controlled areas to receive freedom. During the American Civil War , wartime sympathies were divided in Maryland and Southern Maryland was sympathetic to the Confederates next to Maryland's Eastern Shore . From the war's beginning, however, large numbers of Union occupying troops and patrolling river gunboats prevented the state's secession, although frequent nighttime smuggling across

4361-489: The Southern " Bible Belt " and in recent years played a major role in the political coalitions of George W. Bush and Donald Trump . Fiscal conservatism has ideological roots in capitalism , limited government , free enterprise , and laissez-faire economics. Fiscal conservatives typically support tax cuts , reduced government spending , free markets , deregulation , privatization , minimal government debt , and

4450-618: The Southern Maryland counties of Charles, St. Mary's, and Prince George's, were sold during the 1838 Jesuit slave sale to two planters in Louisiana . A notable abolitionist from southern Maryland was Josiah Henson , a slave who was born in Charles County before escaping to Canada . Henson wrote an autobiography that inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin . Slavery ended in Maryland in November 1864 during

4539-474: The United States , conservatism originates from republicanism , which rejects aristocratic and monarchical government and upholds the principles of the 1776 U.S. Declaration of Independence ("that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness") and of the U.S. Constitution , which established

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4628-491: The United States, this translates into hard-line stances on moral issues, such as opposition to abortion , LGBT rights , feminism , pornography , comprehensive sex education , and recreational drug use . Religious conservatives often assert that America is a Christian nation , calling for laws that enforce Christian morality . They often support school prayer , vouchers for parochial schools , and restricting or outlawing abortion . Social conservatives are strongest in

4717-668: The area remains rural, a mixture of forest and farmland, despite suburban growth. This suburban growth has occurred and continued despite concerns from locals and environmental advocates. Many southern Marylanders work for the United States Armed Forces or the United States Federal Government and its related industries. Other smaller industries include a nuclear power plant and a liquified natural gas terminal (both in Lusby ),

4806-745: The belief in America's "superiority against the cold reactionary monarchical and more rigidly status-bound system of European society". In terms of governmental economic policies, American conservatives have been heavily influenced by the classical liberal or libertarian tradition as expressed by Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman , and a major source of influence has been the Chicago school of economics . They have been strongly opposed to Keynesian economics . Traditional ( Burkean ) conservatives tend to be anti-ideological, and some would even say anti-philosophical, promoting, as Russell Kirk explained,

4895-498: The border line, which largely cut through woods and swamps. Trade with Philadelphia was conducted by overland routes to Delaware towns such as Odessa (then called Cantwell's Bridge) and Smyrna , then called Duck Creek. Agricultural products and milled grain were taken up the Delaware River by "shallop men" in small vessels called shallops . These cultural connections continue to this day. An east–west rail route ran from

4984-657: The coastal geography, infrastructure is already being damaged both due to sea level rise, and storm surge from tropical storms and hurricanes. The Eastern Shore's economy depends on the larger fisheries and farming, both of which are sensitive to climate change. Various waterways provide a medium for commerce and boaters: the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay , the Susquehanna River , and the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal . There are three major routes to

5073-699: The divide between the left and the right led to violent polarization, starting with the French Revolution . In 2009, Emory University history professor Patrick Allitt wrote that attitude, not policy, are at the core of differences between liberals and conservatives: Certain continuities can be traced through American history. The conservative 'attitude' ... was one of trusting to the past, to long-established patterns of thought and conduct, and of assuming that novelties were more likely to be dangerous than advantageous. No American party has ever advocated traditional European ideals of "conservatism" such as

5162-475: The eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River , which is the western border of Cecil County with Harford County . The region borders the Mason–Dixon line with Delaware to the east and north, the Atlantic Ocean on the east, and Virginia's Eastern Shore on the south. Maryland's and Virginia's Eastern Shores, along with most of Delaware, form the Delmarva Peninsula . The location of

5251-416: The economy is wasteful, corrupt, and immoral. Fiscal conservatism advocates restraint of progressive taxation and expenditure. Fiscal conservatives since the 19th century have argued that debt is a device to corrupt politics; they argue that big spending ruins the morals of the people, and that a national debt creates a dangerous class of speculators. A political strategy employed by conservatives to achieve

5340-501: The era, we are, without reservations, on the libertarian side. The profound crisis of our era is, in essence, the conflict between the Social Engineers, who seek to adjust mankind to scientific utopias, and the disciples of Truth, who defend the organic moral order. We believe that truth is neither arrived at nor illuminated by monitoring election results, binding though these are for other purposes, but by other means, including

5429-628: The first Chesapeake Bay Bridge was opened for traffic. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, developers began selling lots on Assateague Island, south of the inlet. However, a storm on March 6, 1962 destroyed houses, shacks, and roads. The state and federal governments intervened before reconstruction by creating the Assateague Island National Seashore and Assateague State Park to preserve this area rather than have it be developed. An Eastern Shore Baseball League operated during three periods between 1922 and 1949. It

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5518-582: The first steamboat traveled the Bay. By the 1880s, railroad lines linked the Eastern Shore to Philadelphia and later, Norfolk, Virginia , by way of a railroad line straight south from Wilmington to Dover , Delmar , Salisbury , and Cape Charles . Maryland's Eastern Shore was served by branch lines running generally southwest from the main route. See List of railroad lines in the Delmarva Peninsula . The Eastern Shore's many branchlines were built after

5607-742: The hands of voters. He continued nevertheless lobbying on behalf of the Southern Maryland region and sitting on development boards and continued to have a major influence on economic development in the region for the rest of his life. Since the 1980s, the region experienced suburban development as the Washington suburbs expanded southward. This expansion took place primarily in Prince George's County , and around Waldorf (a regional shopping hub) and St. Charles (a planned community in Charles County ), Lexington Park ( St. Mary's County ) and Prince Frederick ( Calvert County ). Much of

5696-399: The inlet permanent, dividing Fenwick Island (north) from Assateague Island (south). Early transportation to the island was by train. Until the 1820s, travel and commerce between the Eastern Shore and Baltimore were less important than the connections between it and Philadelphia. Water travel by sailboat and steamer linked the Eastern Shore to Baltimore more tightly beginning about 1813, when

5785-504: The late 1600s to early 1700s, about half of Maryland's enslaved population lived in Calvert , St Mary's , Prince George's , and Charles counties. By 1755, one third of Maryland's population were enslaved Africans. Slavery proved vital to Maryland's economy, with the institution providing the foundation for Maryland's economy and society. The profits from slavery also provided the means for Maryland's gentry to gain power and dominate politics. 272 slaves from across Maryland, including

5874-406: The late 1600s. Originally, laborers were Indentured Servants , with African slaves arriving in 1639. Tobacco and (later) also wheat plantations expanded there and in Southern Maryland as a whole during the slavery era . The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade brought African slaves by the boatloads, with 100,000 slaves disembarking in Maryland during the century before the American Revolution . From

5963-478: The more densely populated and urban Western Shore. Since the late 20th century, when conservative whites shifted to the Republican Party, the region has strongly supported Republican candidates for governor. The three Republican nominees for governor from 1994 to 2018 – Ellen Sauerbrey , Bob Ehrlich , and Larry Hogan – swept all nine counties. This streak ended in 2022 when Democrat Wes Moore won Kent and Talbot counties, though Republican Dan Cox still won

6052-425: The movement's history. In 1937, Southern Democrats formed the congressional conservative coalition , which played an influential role in Congress from the late 1930s to the mid-1960s. In recent decades, Southern conservatives voted heavily Republican. Conservatism in the United States is not a single school of thought. Barry Goldwater in the 1960s spoke for a " free enterprise " conservatism. Jerry Falwell in

6141-408: The preservation of traditional cultural values , restrictions on illegal immigration , and strict law and order policies. In the United States, there has never been a national political party called the Conservative Party. Since 1962, there has been a small Conservative Party of New York State . During Reconstruction in several states in the South in the late 1860s, the former Whigs formed

6230-490: The second half of the 18th century. Energy in the Eastern shore is provided by five oil and natural gas plants. As part of the broader Chesapeake Bay watershed , the Eastern Shore confronts common environmental issues of the watershed, such as nutrient runoff from agriculture, but it is also vulnerable to climate change . Because of its low-lying geography and sandy soil, the region is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and salt water intrusion. Moreover, because of

6319-614: The sides . In the 21st century United States, types of conservatism include: In February 1955, in the first issue of National Review , William F. Buckley Jr. explained the standards of his magazine and articulate the beliefs of American conservatives: Among our convictions: It is the job of centralized government (in peacetime) to protect its citizens' lives, liberty and property. All other activities of government tend to diminish freedom and hamper progress. The growth of government (the dominant social feature of this century) must be fought relentlessly. In this great social conflict of

6408-544: The southern border with Virginia was a cause for significant dispute amongst colonists prior to 1668, when Phillip Calvert of Maryland and Edmund Scarborough of Virginia demarcated the Calvert-Scarborough Line. This line ran northeast from Watkins Point in the Chesapeake through the James L. Horsey Farm and beyond to the Atlantic, but was ultimately never observed due to poor marking. The line in use today

6497-654: The southern portions of Prince George's County and Anne Arundel County . The region's northern boundary passes through Prince George's County and Anne Arundel County, east of Washington . Its eastern boundary is the Chesapeake Bay and its southern and western boundary is the Potomac River , Maryland's boundary with Virginia (and through it, the Northern Neck ). The Patuxent River runs through Southern Maryland, separating Calvert County and Anne Arundel County from Charles County, Prince George's County and St. Mary's County. Land features in Southern Maryland include

6586-540: The subsequent general election to Democrat Frank Kratovil , Queen Anne's County state's attorney. In 2010, Harris again ran for the district and handily defeated Kratovil after a single term in office. Harris has held the seat without serious difficulty since. In the Maryland General Assembly , the Eastern Shore encompasses a portion of district 35B and all of districts 35A, 36, 37A and 37B, 38A, 38B and 38C. All seats are held by Republicans except for

6675-413: The war, American slaves throughout the Chesapeake region flocked to British lines following Dunmore's Proclamation , which promised freedom for slaves who fought for the British military. Due to Southern Maryland's proximity to the national capitol , the region was deeply affected by the War of 1812 , with the war severely disrupting the lives of the region's citizens. During August and September 1814,

6764-522: The war, in November 1863, Maryland ratified a new state Constitution which abolished slavery in the state. Southern Maryland was traditionally a rural , agricultural , oyster fishing and crabbing region; linked by passenger and freight steamboat routes. These steamboat routes operated on the Chesapeake Bay and major rivers until the 1930s before the building of highways and the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge on U.S. Highway 301 . (The latter highway

6853-410: Was a Class D minor league with teams in all three states of Delmarva. Although the Eastern Shore comprises a large part of Maryland's land area, it had a population of 456,815 as of the 2020 Census, representing about 7.4% of Maryland's total population. The most populous city in the region is Salisbury , and the most populous county is Cecil . The Eastern Shore is considerably more conservative than

6942-437: Was common in St. Mary's County in the 1960s, and gambling in the region came to be seen as a blight and was outlawed by Governor J. Millard Tawes and the state legislature. A local political figure, St. Mary's County politician J. Frank Raley Jr. organized a slate of local candidates with the platform of challenging the political status-quo and lifting the region out of its generations long poverty. The region's isolation

7031-532: Was deepened in the early 20th century to sea level, and physically separates the Delmarva Peninsula from the rest of the United States. Maryland south of the canal is considered the Eastern Shore by residents. The term Western Shore is used by Eastern Shore residents to describe all the counties of Maryland west of the Chesapeake Bay, but especially those of the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area and Southern Maryland . The north–south section of

7120-411: Was ended by having a series of bridges built and roads expanded into highways. These developments are credited for enabling the development of modern St. Mary's County. Raley was falsely accused of working to end gambling outright in the region, which ended in his defeat and his official political career. In fact he had supported a referendum on gambling which would have put the decision directly in

7209-427: Was established by Leonard Calvert , first Governor of Maryland and brother of Cecilius. The colony's capital, and first settlement, was the newly established St. Mary's City . The colony originally focused on tobacco farming and was very successful although disease was a problem and many settlers died until immunities built up in the population. Religious tensions and also periods of open conflict also continued to be

7298-402: Was established in Southern Maryland at St. Mary's City in 1634. This settlement is considered by historians to be the birthplace of religious freedom in North America. Throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, the area developed an agricultural slave economy, with agriculture maintaining prominence following emancipation . Many historical events occurred in Southern Maryland during

7387-684: Was established in the National Heritage Area Act in 2022. The National Heritage Area helps preserve and promote destinations in four counties. The National Heritage Area was officially designated in 2023. It is also one of thirteen state heritage areas and is administered by the Maryland Historical Trust through the Maryland Heritage Areas Program. Tourist Attractions in Southern Maryland include historical sites, such as

7476-699: Was established under the Award of 1877; this line travels east from Watkins Point, then up the middle of the Pocomoke River before heading due east along the Calvert-Scarborough Line at the point where it intersects the river. Like New Castle County, Delaware , Cecil County is crossed by the Fall Line , a geologic division where the rockier highlands of the Piedmont region meet the Atlantic coastal plain ,

7565-726: Was founded on July 4, 1875, when the Atlantic Hotel opened on Assateague Island . At the time, Assateague Island was continuous from the Delaware state line to well south of Ocean City: the Ocean City Inlet was not formed until a hurricane in August 1933 cut across the south end of the town. The inlet was cut not by waves sweeping inland, but by 4 or 5 days' worth of freshwater runoff from the coastal creeks running seaward. By 1935, government money had built jetties to make

7654-408: Was named after Robert Crain , an attorney who owned the state's largest farm, Mount Victoria , and who campaigned for the road's construction ). Weekend excursion boats also carried Washingtonians to small amusement parks and amusement pavilions at numerous Potomac shore locations. From 1949 (1943 in some places) to 1968, the region was known for its poverty and its slot machine gambling. Poverty

7743-697: Was opposition to communism, which was seen not only as an enemy of the traditional order but also the enemy of Western freedom and democracy. Between 1945 and 1947, it was the Labour government in the United Kingdom, which embraced socialism, that pushed the Truman administration to take a strong stand against Soviet Communism . Social conservatism in the United States is the defense of traditional family values rooted in Judeo-Christian ethics and

7832-532: Was originally inhabited by the indigenous Piscataway people . English explorer Captain John Smith explored the area in 1608 and 1609. Cecilius Calvert was granted a charter to establish a colony meant to be a safe-haven for Catholics in 1632. Expeditions were launched into modern day Maryland, with an expedition reaching St. Clement's Island in 1634. Later that year, the Maryland Colony

7921-466: Was true for Talbot County as well, but it was won by Joe Biden . The Eastern Shore has long been a part of Maryland's 1st Congressional district . Democrat Roy Dyson represented the 1st district from 1981 until 1990, when he was defeated by Republican Wayne Gilchrest . Gilchrest held the seat until 2008, when State Senator Andy Harris defeated him in the Republican primary. Harris narrowly lost

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