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Howard County’s Independence Day Connection



What better time to search the online data base of the Columbia Maryland Archives than on the Fourth of July?

Under “ephemera” I found this photograph of a T-shirt.

Photo from the collection of the Columbia Maryland Archives


The shirt proudly proclaims:

1851 - 2001 

Howard County Maryland 

150 Years of History 

Born on the 4th of July


Close up view of t-shirt image. Interesting tree!


Howard County was born on the Fourth of July? I did not know that. I knew it hadn’t been around forever, and that it had broken off from another county (Anne Arundel). But the Fourth of July part was news to me. Naturally I wanted to learn more. A quick Google search led me to this piece by Len Lazarick in the Maryland Reporter. 

HOWARD COUNTY SLAVERY: BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, IT WASN’T ALWAYS A FREE COUNTY, Len Lazarick, July 4, 2020, Maryland Reporter (Reprint from The Business Monthly, July, 2001)

Despite the wording of the title, it was not Howard County slavery that was born on the Fourth of July. 

One hundred fifty years ago this month — July 4, 1851 — Howard County gained it political “freedom” from Anne Arundel County, an event county groups have marked with a year long festival of subdued celebration.

In contemplating what the county’s economy was like back then, based on the 1850 census, it’s helpful to realize that its largely agrarian culture, more than 15% of the adult men in the 1850 census called themselves farmers­, was built partially on the backs of slaves.

Somehow I feel that the word “partially” is doing a lot of heavy lifting there.  I also found it interesting that the only Howard County women mentioned in the entire piece are these:

Even one George Ellicott, descendant of Quakers to whom slavery was an abomination, owned two teenage girls.

It’s an engaging and educational article - - not too long - - and I encourage you to make time for it today. Lazarick credits Phil Reitzel and the Howard County Historical Society for their assistance in researching the material to write the article. I found myself wondering what a similar article would look like had it been researched and written by Marlena Jarreaux of Howard County Lynching Truth and Reconciliation. Different authors with differing perspectives can bring entirely different worlds to light.

As an example, I recommend this recent piece by Jarreaux: A County Flag Was Born, But Who Birthed It?  Ms.Jarreaux takes us through the history of the creation of the Howard County flag and explains her reasons for concern about CB 31. She provides evidence and historical context as to how that flag came to be and asks insightful questions based on her research. 

Much of it boils down to this: when the county flag was created and officially accepted as The Howard County Flag, who was in power? Whose opinions were solicited? Whose voices were represented? Should we pass legislation that cements that particular design to remain unchanging without having a full understanding of how it came about? 

Should we pass legislation without thinking and knowing? What is it about flags that causes some folks to be willing to do that?

We can celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the 172nd year since Howard County’s founding today if that’s what we wish to do. I hope we will also continue to be curious and open to learning the true stories of our history.




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