City of Firsts
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One of Baltimore’s many nicknames is “City of Firsts,” for its nearly one hundred instances of first events in the U.S. These “firsts” are testament to the innovation that Baltimoreans have shown throughout the city’s history. Numerous advances and inventions in industry, transportation, science and education have pioneered in Baltimore. As one of the East Coast’s fastest growing cities, Baltimore became a hub of creativity and capital in the 19th pot of cross-cultural ideas, and the city’s prominence as a center of trade meant these ideas could be tested and exchanged with ease. Transportation innovations like the clipper ship and railroad enhanced commerce and mobility, which helped make Baltimore the third largest city in the U.S. and the second largest port of entry for immigrants. The resources of the Heritage Area are both vestiges of these innovations and monuments to them.