During
the American Civil War,
Maryland, a
slave state, was one of the
border states, straddling the
South and
North. Because of its strategic location, bordering the capital city of Washington D.C., and the strong desire of the opposing factions within the state to sway public opinion towards their respective causes, Maryland would play an important role in the
American Civil War. Lincoln's suspension of
habeas corpus in Maryland, and dismissal of the Supreme Court Chief Justice's
ruling that such suspension was unconstitutional, would leave lasting scars.