Investigating Fell's Point in 1800

Directions: Carefully examine the map, and answer the questions that follow.

1. Was Fell's Point a planned community or an unplanned one?

How can you tell?

Do you think that planning the town was a good idea or an unnecessary one? Why?

2. Examine the pictures of the houses on the map. How are the houses alike? How are they different?

3. Read the information in the "Reference" square. What information is there about some of the residents of Fell's Point?

4. How is the house in illustration "I" different from the other houses?

 

Do you think house "I" would be the home of captains, merchants, or shipyard workers? Why?

5. Look carefully at the locations of the houses on the map. Most of the houses are located near the harbor.

Why do you think people built the houses where they did?

6. What businesses were at Fell's Point?

Why do you think theses businesses were important for the town?

7. Look closely at the shoreline.

a. How many shipyards were there at Fell's Point in 1800?

 

 

b. Why does Fell's Point look like a good place for shipbuilding?

 

 

 

c. What kinds of jobs would be needed in the shipbuilding industry of 1800?

 

d. Would the people doing these jobs likely live in a house like "G" or "I"? Why?

Summary: Consider all of the information you have learned from examining the map, and answer this question:

How would you describe Fell's Point and the people who lived here around the year 1800?

 

 

 

 

Be sure to mention these topics in your answer:

Examples of economic activities (work and trade)
Examples of houses
A planned community