Existing comment:
The Right Location:
Baltimore thrived as a port city from the start because of its favorable geographic position. Twelve miles up the Patapsco River from the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore is 200 miles closer to midwest markets than any other eastern port. Goods placed on a boat could be transported to America's heartland faster and cheaper by being routed up the Chesapeake Bay and the Patapsco. The launch of America's first commercial railroad here in 1828 further fueled Baltimore's economy. By 1906 the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad connected to 13 states, bringing raw materials to Baltimore to be turned into manufactured goods and shipped around the world. |