Showcasing Maryland’s place in American history

MPT’s Center for Maryland History Films will tell the stories of people, places, and events over the centuries since the Free State's original 1632 colonial charter, using the power of public media to bring those stories to the region and nation. 

The Center for Maryland History Films will produce historically accurate, engaging, and informative multimedia content that improves civic understanding and engagement by integrating...

• world-class storytelling and multimedia production,
• standards-aligned educational resources,
• robust community outreach and engagement activities, and
• active partnerships with museums, universities, and nonprofit organizations.

In so doing, MPT’s Center for Maryland History Films will demonstrate the power of studying our state’s history to help citizens recognize our past, understand our present, and shape our future.

The Center for Maryland History Films will help audiences...

• understand culture and identity
• understand our own society
• build citizenship and civic participation
• gain insights into present-day challenges
• increase interpretation and analytical skills
• recognize, adapt to, and appreciate change

MPT’s work will stimulate understanding of our past to educate citizens of the future in our state and throughout the nation.

People

THURGOOD MARSHALL, an American lawyer and civil rights activist, served as an associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court for more than two decades. He was the first African American to serve on the nation’s highest court, and this documentary would trace his childhood, achievements, challenges, and legacy.

BENJAMIN LATROBE, credited as the “father of American architecture,” introduced the profession of architecture and the Greek Revival style to the U.S. after emigrating in 1796. Among his most recognized works are the U.S. Capitol and many other prominent buildings in Washington, D.C., as well as the Merchant’s Exchange and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore.

BENJAMIN BANNEKER, a Baltimore County native and a free African American, was a mathematician, astronomer, surveyor, and inventor. Among other notable accomplishments, he was tapped by George Washington to serve as one of three commissioners to oversee construction of a federal city along the Potomac River.

...and others!

Places

The MARYLAND STATE HOUSE housed the workings of the U.S. government from November 26, 1783, to August 13, 1784. When the Treaty of Paris was ratified there on January 14, 1784, Annapolis became the first peacetime capital of the U.S.

SPARROW’S POINT, named for local landowner Thomas Sparrow, is indelibly connected with the Bethlehem Steel complex that produced steel and ships. In its heyday in the mid-20th century, it was the largest steel mill in the world. Today, it is home to a growing number of major businesses.  

The CASSELMAN RIVER BRIDGE, the longest single-span stone arch bridge, was a vital link on the historic National Road from 1813-1933. The bridge has been repaired but remains a testimony to its builders' design and workmanship, providing passage for countless freight and passenger vehicles, pedestrians, and livestock on America's first federally funded highway. The bridge was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963 and is owned by the State of Maryland.

...and others!

Events

On January 14, 1784, the TREATY OF PARIS was ratified by the Congress of the United States, while they met in the Senate Chamber of the Maryland State House. The treaty formally ended the Revolutionary War and established the United States as a free and independent nation.

In 1767, the MASON-DIXON LINE was established as Maryland's northern boundary, but do Marylanders consider themselves part of the south? The unique landmark provides an excellent opportunity to investigate the legacy of Maryland from pre-Civil War times to the present in relation to its identification as a northern – or southern – state.

The GREAT BALTIMORE FIRE raged in Baltimore for two days in 1904. Thousands of buildings were damaged, bringing property loss from the disaster to an estimated $4 billion in current dollars. Remarkably, 1,231 firefighters helped bring the blaze under control, both professionals and volunteers from the surrounding counties and outlying towns of Maryland, as well as out-of-state units that arrived by railroad.

...and others!

MPT is no stranger to the creation of historical content for multiple viewing and engagement platforms. Numerous Emmy-winning productions and widely acclaimed historical documentaries all attest to our statewide public TV network’s expertise in developing important stories and telling them well.

 

Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom 
Explore the nuanced portrait of the woman known as the conductor of the Underground Railroad, who risked her own freedom and life to liberate others from slavery. 
WATCH

 

Becoming Frederick Douglass
Discover how a man born into slavery became one of the most prominent statesmen and influential voices for democracy in American history.
WATCH

 

Water's Edge: Black Watermen of the Chesapeake
The unique relationship between African Americans and the Chesapeake Bay contains an abundance of untold stories, tales revealed in Maryland Public Television’s new documentary, "Water’s Edge: Black Watermen of the Chesapeake". 
WATCH

 

Ben's Ten: Chattel Slavery on Maryland's Eastern Shore
A dark and haunting history lies beneath a picturesque rural Maryland landscape. Join Maryland Public Television on Monday, February 19th at 9pm as archaeologists work to uncover what life may have been like for enslaved Marylanders– including a young Harriet Tubman– in the premiere of Ben’s Ten: Chattel Slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. 
WATCH

 

Racing Rivals: Log Canoes of Chesapeake Bay
Elegant and agile, propelled by outsized sails offset by nimble crew serving as human ballast, the iconic racing fleet of Chesapeake Bay log canoes embodies tradition, speed and grace. On breezy summer weekends, those that restore, race, and revere them are out to win- but not at the expense of preserving these unique vessels and the heritage they represent. 
WATCH

 

Discovering the Dove
The centuries-old story of Maryland’s founding enters a brand new chapter as a team of shipbuilders endeavor to recreate the Dove of 1633… without a blueprint. Viewers follow along as historians and shipbuilders unravel the mystery of what the 17th century ship central to Maryland's founding might have looked like. 
WATCH

 

Conowingo Dam: Power on the Susquehanna
The many tales surrounding Conowingo Dam's unique history take center stage in this one-hour documentary, from the dam's construction atop the Susquehanna riverbed, to ancient native American carvings, to the drowning of a small upriver village, and a tense battle against the 1972 "Storm of the Century."
WATCH

 

Kent County's Storied Landscape: Place, Past and Present
How is history expressed in a landscape? Kent County, in Maryland, lies between the Sassafras and Chester Rivers on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. In an era of building, development and habitat destruction, Kent County is unique in its continuity of working agricultural lands and waterways that embody patterns of life from prehistoric times to today. 
WATCH

 

The War of 1812 On The Chesapeake: Home of the Brave
To celebrate the bicentennial of the War of 1812, this program tells some of the most fascinating war stories of people and places as they happen around the Chesapeake by using scenic byways as a guide.
WATCH

 

Heart of the Civil War
The significance of the Civil War in north-central Maryland is indisputable, This region is where major battles took place, important decisions were made, and notable personalities made their presence known.
WATCH

 

Citizen Schaefer
He's been called the greatest Maryland politician of the last 100 years. Elected mayor of Baltimore four times, governor of Maryland twice, and state comptroller twice, William Donald Schaefer lived for Maryland politics. This one-hour special looks at Schaefer's unparalleled life in politics and explores his 51 years in public office.
WATCH

 

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge: Spanning the Bay
Since opening in 1952, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge has fueled Maryland’s growing tourism industry and transformed tiny beachside resorts such as Ocean City into bustling summertime destinations. Discover the vision, struggles, and engineering genius that led to the creation of this state treasure. 
WATCH

MPT has a longstanding commitment to education. Regarded as a trusted partner in education, the station brings high-quality instructional content, programs, and media to educators, schools, families, and communities in Maryland and beyond.

Tubman/Douglass Classroom Resources

Using content and insights from MPT’s two national documentaries, this collection of standards-aligned learning resources supports student learning in middle and high school classrooms through self-paced lessons, interactives, and inquiry modules.
 

Voices of Baltimore: Life Under Segregation

Voices of Baltimore preserves oral histories of individuals who experienced life during the Jim Crow era in Maryland. The six modules in this special collection draw upon personal accounts, primary sources, and discussion questions to prompt dialogue and deeper reflection.

Exploring Vietnam War Stories

From the Gulf of Tonkin incident to the fall of Saigon, the experiences of local soldiers help to convey the complexities of a war that divided American public opinion. The modules in this collection were designed using clips from MPT’s three-hour documentary Maryland Vietnam War Stories.

MPT’s unparalleled experience and expertise in telling Maryland's stories are further evinced through a quick look at some of the network’s award-winning and Emmy-nominated productions since hitting the airwaves in 1969.

The Dig: Maryland Mystery Lady (2020)
Search for the U.S.S. Scorpion (2018)
Maryland Vietnam War Stories (2016)
The Tall Ship “Guayas” (2013)
The Skipjacks (2011)
Citizen Schaefer (2009)
Maryland Generations: The Jewish Experience (2008)
Maryland Generations: Then and Now (2008)
Pathways to Freedom: Maryland and the Underground Railroad (2002)
Prince George’s County: A 300-Year Journey (1996)
Maryland Connections: World War II (1995)
The Civil War: A Region Divided (1991)
Maryland Indians (1977)
Baltimore Clipper: Ship That Launched a Port (1977)
Stories of Maryland: Once to Every Man (1976)

Columbia’s Promise (2019)
F.S. Key After the Song (2017)
F.S. Key and the Song that Built America (2014)
Remembering 9/11 Ten Years Later (2012)
Bugeye: A Chesapeake Legacy (2010)
The War: Struggle & Sacrifice (2008)
Maryland Generations: The War (2008)
The Best Days of Our Lives: Centennial of Maryland’s State Parks & Forests (2007)
Prange & Pearl Harbor: A Magnificent Obsession (2001)
Maryland in the Great War: Over There, Over Here (1996)
Port Baltimore (1994)
A City Celebrates: The Opening of Harborplace (1980)
Private Yankee Doodle: A Dialogue on Early American Military (1977)
Stories of Maryland: The Inventory (1970)
Stories of Maryland: Nightmare’s Child (1969)