“The Old Line” refers to Maryland soldiers who distinguished themselves in the Revolutionary War. The nickname developed into “The Old Line State” and honors the memory of their sacrifices. Maryland’s Old Line was highly disciplined and well-equipped, unlike many other colonies’ soldiers. The nickname’s origin is debated but is displayed on Maryland’s State Quarter.
“The Old Line” refers to early Revolutionary War soldiers who hailed from Maryland and distinguished themselves in battle. In military parlance of the 1770s, a “line” meant a regiment. In 1780, the Maryland line described itself as “old” in correspondence with military leaders, and the adjective refers both to the regiment’s length of service and its courageous performance in warfare. Some sources attribute the phrase “The Old Line” to General George Washington, the commander-in-chief and later the first president of the nascent United States, as it refers to the Distinguished Maryland Regiment. The phrase especially refers to the men who enlisted early in the war and fought in a difficult battle on Long Island in 1776, and General Washington considered them heroes of the revolution and defenders of liberty for their faithful service.
From its beginnings as a reference to Maryland’s Continental soldiers, The Old Line developed into The Old Line State, becoming the nickname for the state of Maryland. After all members of the Old Line had died, the phrase “the Old Line” remained to honor their memory and their sacrifices during the war against British forces. The nickname recalls the honor and spotless reputation earned by those early soldiers. General Washington expressed the opinion that he literally saved the Continental Army from complete destruction during the Battle of Long Island. The performance of the soldiers in Maryland’s Old Line was said to equal that of the outstanding soldiers of Rhode Island, who served under Commander Nathaniel Greene, and possibly surpassed all other regiments.
Many soldiers from the original 13 colonies of the United States who were fighting for independence from the British were untrained and ill-equipped. The opposite was true in the case of the Maryland soldiers. The colony leaders agreed to send trained men to fight the Revolutionary War, and they were paid and fully clothed and equipped for the task. The reasoning of the leaders was that trained and equipped men could do the job better. Maryland’s Old Line was considered highly disciplined.
Another theory of the origin of the Old Line State nickname says it refers to the demarcation between two landowners in the 17th century, William Penn and Lord Baltimore. It was Lord Baltimore who gave Maryland its name, in honor of the wife of his benefactor, King Charles I of England. Her name was Henrietta Maria, and she was known as Queen Mary. Yet another theory holds that the Old Line State refers to the 19th century Mason-Dixon line. The Old Line State is the nickname that is displayed in the Maryland State Quarter today.
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