Maryland in the American Civil War a majority of the legislature, wished to remain in the Union, but did not want to be involved in a war against their southern neighbors, and sought to prevent a military response by Lincoln to the South's secession. After John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859, many citizens began forming local militias, determined to prevent a future slave uprising. The first bloodshed of the Civil War occurred in Maryland. Anxious about the risk of secessionists capturing Washington, D.C., given that the capital was bordered by Virginia, and preparing for war with the South, the federal government requested armed volunteers
Capital punishment in Maryland recommendations concerning the application and administration of capital punishment in the state so that they are free from bias and error and achieve fairness and accuracy. Following a series of public hearings, the Commission submitted its final report, along with a minority report, to the General Assembly on December 12, 2008 which "strongly recommends that capital punishment be abolished in Maryland." On March 6, 2013, the Maryland State Senate voted 27-20 in favor of SB 276, a bill to repeal the death penalty for future offenders. On March 15, 2013 the House approved the legislation by an 82-56 vote and