When White People Rioted in Baltimore

[eridani]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/12/1383975/-When-White-People-Rioted-in-Baltimore

"The despot's heel is on thy shore,
Maryland!
His torch is at thy temple door,
Maryland!
Avenge the patriotic gore
That flecked the streets of Baltimore,
And be the battle queen of yore,
Maryland! My Maryland!"

This is the opening stanza of “Maryland, My Maryland", the official state song. You can view the complete lyrics here. The song refers to an 1861 riot in Baltimore when Union troops traveling through the city to defend Washington DC from a possible Confederate attack were assaulted by a pro-slavery mob. The "despot" referred to was President Lincoln.

This song celebrating a riot by white racists goes on for 8 more stanzas exhorting Maryland to secede from the Union. The words were written by James Ryder Randall and set to the tune of “Oh Tannebaum” by two sisters, Hetty and Jennie Cary. The song became a hit throughout the Confederacy and the two sisters joined the high society of the Confederate aristocracy.

Confederate General Robert E. Lee had his army play the song during the 1862 invasion of Maryland which led to the Battle of Antietam and the single bloodiest day in US history. The song had such an emotional impact on the Confederacy that several pro-Union versions were penned in the North, though none achieved the popularity of the original.\

[marym625]

1. K&R!

[applegrove]

2. White people have been rioting for better government

for hundreds of years all over the west. It should not be a surprise that black people are what with the GOP praying to the God of the southern strategy.

[F4lconF16]

3. I would like to note that blacks have rioted and revolted as well

Whites are not the only ones. There have been slave revolts and many small (and large) revolutions and riots for better conditions and new systems. Resistance to oppression is far more a characteristic of black history in the US than white history.

It wasn't made clear in your post, so i thought I'd add that.

[applegrove]

5. I should have made clear that I meant white people have

been successfully revolting and engaging in a 'negotiation' for what type of governance they want. African americans were not safely able to do that in the west until the 1950s. My point was that riots are a discussion if you take the big picture. A discussion that has been a privilege for some people to have. Others not so much in history. Nat Turner was not trying to discuss anything. He rightfully wanted freedom and justice. There was nothing to discuss.

[F4lconF16]

6. Absolutely.

Good post, and thanks for the clarification.

[bullwinkle428]

4. I thought you were referring to the Ravens' last Super Bowl victory!