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Let's Build a Maryland Community

Let's Build a Maryland Community
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 3 to 4
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   5.96

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    ports, seaport, inland, port, farmland, steam, public, freight, order, government, transportation, phone, remember, when, building, important
     content words:    New World, West Virginia, National Road, Cumberland Road, National Pike, C&O Canal, B&O Railroad, Tom Thumb, Enoch Pratt Free Library

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Let's Build a Maryland Community
By Carolyn Murphy 		  
1     When settlers came to the New World, they had a lot to do. They could not just walk down the street to a market to get their dinner. They had to grow their dinner first. They did not have someone whom they could look up in the phone book to call to hire to build a house. The settlers had to build their houses themselves. When settlers came to Baltimore, there was a lot to do. Even after a very long trip, some of the early settlers to Baltimore and other parts of Maryland were very energetic in developing their farmlands and ports, developing roads, and building new places for people to visit.
 
2     Very early, Baltimore became an important seaport for the early colonies, and farther inland people used land for growing crops. The farmland was important for growing many crops including corn. People also used the farmland for growing tobacco. People would share or trade products in Baltimore. The people would take products to the port for going to European countries. Other ships would bring products to the colonies.
 
3     In order to travel from the farmland to the water (port), the people needed roads. The first highway (built with some government money) was built from Cumberland in Maryland to Wheeling in West Virginia. Settlers called the roads many names including National Road, Cumberland Road, and National Pike. Later, the early settlers built the C&O Canal. This canal served as a major transportation route for coal from Cumberland to Washington, D.C. for many years. In 1828 Baltimore built the first railroad known as the B&O Railroad for both passengers and freight. Also, Tom Thumb was the first coal burning steam locomotive. Tom Thumb was built in Baltimore.

Paragraphs 4 to 5:
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