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The Second Reader

The Second Reader

Written by: Rich Sigwald
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 A librarian and history enthusiast explores the history of Maryland through the stories of its legislators.Rich Sigwald World
Episodes
  • Baltimore Sabbath

    Baltimore Sabbath
    Jul 23 2025

    "Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."

    But, in 1931 Senator Thurman Atkinson from Baltimore campaigned to end that rest. He even risked his life to bring the "blue laws" to an end.
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    22 mins
  • Chaos: 1861

    Chaos: 1861
    May 2 2025

    Arguably, no other state in the union has had a year like Maryland had in 1861. The Legislature, arrested. Martial Law declared. Its largest city and capital, both occupied, by the army of its own government. Its citizens attacking the army, and the first bloodshed of a long and brutal civil war. Maryland had 4 (!) special legislative sessions in 1861, each one vital and heavily observed by the Governor, by other states, by the military, and by President Lincoln himself.

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    49 mins
  • The Birth of a Caucus

    The Birth of a Caucus
    Apr 11 2025

    The story of how an architectural oversight led to a dramatic showdown, a demand for equal rights, and the formation of one of the strongest caucuses in Maryland's legislature.
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    41 mins
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