The Calvert County Board of Education made a bold move in 1937, when they decided to equalize wages for African-American teachers across the state. This was a major milestone for African-Americans in the county, as many of them had found freedom by fleeing the British Army during the War of 1812. One of these individuals was Charles Stewart Ballard, son of Levin Ballard who had enslaved Charles Ball. On June 16, 1814, Stewart decided to flee to British ships anchored in Lower Marlboro, and he wanted to bring his wife Sarah and five daughters Betty, Eliza, Juliet, Jane and Rebecca with him. All of them were owned by Levin Ballard's mother Elizabeth.
In the end, twelve of the people enslaved by Elizabeth Ballard obtained their freedom that night. In 1921, that same parcel of land became the headquarters of the first Rosenwald school in Calvert County - the first school in the county to offer a high school curriculum to African-American students. The Prince Frederick Central Industrial School was built on land purchased by Galilean fishermen and it was a major step forward for educational opportunities for African-Americans in the county. During this time, many national government organizations had local lodges in many states, including Calvert County.
My own family was part of this movement. In the 1960s, the Masons at Prince Hall in Calvert County were heavily involved in civil rights tensions. In terms of the War of 1812, Calvert County is most famous for the Barney Flotilla and the battles of St. Leonard Creek and Bladensburg.
Leave a Comment