The 19th century had been good to Baltimore, business was booming, the port, shipbuilding, needle trades and food processing were bigger than ever. Immigrants continued to arrive in the city. But disaster came early as the Great Baltimore Fire had consumed the city center. Rebuilding the city became the task of the decade. Women’s suffrage, slum housing, sweatshops, racial discrimination, public health, and child labor were to be addressed. Despite the challenges, Baltimoreans enjoyed electrified amusement parks, attendance at vaudeville theaters, and neighborhood life. Join Baltimore Historian Jack Burkert to learn about this story of challenges, new beginnings and better living at turn of the century Baltimore. 

Baltimore was once the primary American city for hosting presidential nominating conventions. Six presidents, including Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, and Woodrow Wilson, were nominated here. With the 2024 conventions on the horizon, join Baltimore Heritage and the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion for an informative discussion, presented by Stan Haynes, of the intrigue, hoopla, and drama of the Baltimore conventions.