Annapolis Live Cam

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States, and its history stretches back thousands of years. It has been a vital resource for Native American tribes, European explorers and settlers, and modern-day industries.

Native Americans have lived along the Chesapeake Bay for thousands of years, and their societies were deeply connected to the water. They fished, hunted, and traded with one another, developing a rich cultural heritage that is still celebrated today. When European explorers arrived in the 16th century, they encountered a complex network of tribes with their own languages, customs, and traditions.

The first permanent European settlement in the Chesapeake Bay region was established by the English in 1607 at Jamestown, Virginia. The colonists quickly realized the importance of the bay for trade and transportation, and it became a hub of commerce for the entire region. Over the next several centuries, the Chesapeake Bay became a center of shipbuilding, fishing, and agriculture, and its ports were crucial for the economy of the young United States.