Southern Maryland is where Maryland's history began in 1634 when 140 brave colonists established the fourth permanent settlement in British North America. As time marched on through the centuries, native woodland trails gave way to the rolling roads of tobacco plantations, and square-riggers gave way to steamboats and skipjacks. Today, Southern Maryland's unique past is richly preserved in its numerous historic sites, dynamic museums, and rural scenic byways—all awaiting your discovery.