Annapolis, Maryland (MD), United States

Facts & Statistics
Place Name	Annapolis
Place Status (Type)	city
Capital Of	Anne Arundel County
Population	33,187 (1990)
Location	Anne Arundel County, Maryland (MD), United States, North America
Latitude	38°58'N
Longitude	76°30'W

Annapolis , city (1990 pop. 33,187), Anne Arundel co., Md. central Md., on the S bank of the Severn R.; 38°58'N 76°30'W. Annapolis is a port of entry on Cheasapeake Bay and the business and shipping center for the fruit and vegetable farmers of E Md. Local industries include the packaging of seafood and the manufacture of small boats and plastics and aerospace parts. The economy relies heavily on state and local govt., tourism, and pleasure boating. Annapolis was settled in 1649 by Puritans fleeing Va. Hostility bet. the Puritans and the R.C. governors of Md. resulted in the battle of the Severn R. in 1655, in which the Puritans successfully revolted, only to lose control after the Restoration in England. The settlement, originally called Providence, was later known as Anne Arundel Town, after the wife of the 2d Lord Baltimore. In 1694 it became the provincial capital of Md. and was renamed Annapolis for Princess (later Queen) Anne of England. On Oct. 19, 1774, Annapolis staged its own tea party when the owner of the Peggy Stewart was forced to burn the vessel at dockside. In 1783-1784, Annapolis served as the capital of the U.S. when the Congress met there. The city was the site of the Annapolis Convention (1786), which led to the Federal Constitutional Convention. George Washington resigned there as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in 1783 and the treaty that ended the Revolutionary War was ratified in there in 1784. Other notable landmarks are the Old Treasury (c. 1695), the oldest original bldg. in Md.; the library (1737); St. John's Col. chartered in 1784; the Paca House (c. 1763), home of William Paca, signer of the Declaration of Independence and 3-time governor of Md.; and St. Anne's Church (1858-1859) and graveyard where the last royal governor of Annapolis, Sir Robert Eden (an ancestor of Prime Minister Anthony Eden) is buried. Much 18th cent. architecture is preserved in the city. Annapolis is the site of the U.S. Naval Acad., founded in 1845. Historic Annapolis, Inc., a powerful preservation organization, has helped retain the town's colonial atmosphere. The narrow streets from State Circle to City Dock house restaurants and shops and Market House on the dock offers fruits, vegetables, and seafood along with snacks to shoppers and tourists year round. The promenades and benches along the dock enable visitors to watch the comings and goings of both pleasure and work boats in the bay. At different times, Annapolis has been dubbed both the “Paris” and “Athens” of America.