The People of Havre de Grace - Havre de Grace, MD - Civil Rights Memorials on Waymarking.com

The mural features snippets from Havre de Grace's history from the 1600s when Captain John Smith visited the Chesapeake bay and when George Washington came by on multiple times en route to Philadelphia and New York.

The sign says, "Susquehanna Indians

The Susquehanna Indians controlled the upper tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. John Smith was the first European to encounter them when he explored the Upper Bay in 1608. He described them as "a most noble and heroic nation of Indians; 7 ft tall, with voices deep and hollow as coming out of a cave." The Susquehannocks and their relationship with European settlers dominated the area's development for almost a century.

George Washington

Havre de Grace's location made it a crossroads for people traveling along the Eastern Seaboard. George Washington was known to have traveled through Havre de Grace numerous times throughout his lifetime.

Marquis de Lafayette

The Marquis de Lafayette also traveled through Havre de Grace during the American Revolution. Local legend credits Lafayette with out city's name. It is believed that when Lafayette first saw the town settled at the juncture of the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay, he declared "C'est Le Havre" because it reminded him of La Harve, France.

John O'Neill

On May 3, 1813, as part of the War of 1812, Havre de Grace was bombarded by the British. During the early morning attack. John O'Neill was one of the few men defending the town. Wounded and taken into British custody for several days, he was eventually released with the intervention of his daughter Matilda. O'Neill became known as the "Defender of Havre de Grace" and was rewarded with the position of Lighthouse Keeper of Havre d Grace.

Road to Freedom

Havre de Grace served as an important crossing point across the Susquehanna River for enslaved Africans looking to gain freedom in the north. A number of formally enslaved people, including Fredrick Douglass, documented their hop in Havre de Grace before traveling across the Susquehanna."

Civil Right Type: Race (includes U.S. Civil Rights movement)

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Date Logged Log User Rating   07/05/2021 bluesnote visited it