"Maryland, My Maryland" was written by James Ryder Randall in 1861 as a call for Maryland to secede from the Union and join the Confederacy, inspired by the Pratt Street Riots. The poem, later set to the tune of "O Tannenbaum," became an anthem for Confederate supporters and reflected the state's divided loyalties during the Civil War. Despite its controversial lyrics, the song was adopted as the state song of Maryland in 1939. | Road to the Civil War