The legislature met in April in Frederick, far from Baltimore. The session lasted into the summer and the question of secession was voted down.
The legislature’s vote was meaningless.
Why?
DoodleDawg: "The legislature met in April in Frederick, far from Baltimore. The session lasted into the summer and the question of secession was voted down."
Maryland's legislature voted against secession (53-13) on April 29, 1861. That was still a week before the Confederate Congress formally declared war against the United States.
Once Confederates had formally declared war, May 6, 1861, then any discussion of, or actions in support of, secession became subject to the US Constitution, Article 3:
Palio di Siena: "The legislature’s vote was meaningless."
DoodleDawg: "Why?"
After Confederates formally declared war on the United States, any future actions providing Aid and Comfort to Confederates would have been, by definition, treason.
Meaningless in substance if not in form.
Maryland was occupied by Federal troops - Lincoln had suspended habeus corpus and was arresting any suspected southern sympathizers- holding them at Ft. McHenry - 2000 by the end of the war.
Baltimore had the largest population of free blacks in the country.
Baltimore was a major transport hub - essential to the Union war effort.
Two or three major railroads went through Baltimore- essentially the only way to get troops to DC from the north.
Baltimore was key for controlling the Chesapeake after the Union lost their naval base at Norfolk in 1861.
So I say the vote was meaningless because if Maryland had voted to secede- they would have been powerless to do so.
Also - Frederick is 45 miles from Baltimore - not far off even in those days.