There is something about Maryland that cannot be fully explained by its size. Look at a map of the United States and Maryland may appear small. Look at the history of the United States, however, and Maryland becomes enormous. This is a state whose people have fought battles, built railroads, defended a harbor, inspired a national anthem, challenged injustice, worked the waters of the Chesapeake, advanced national defense, and produced Americans whose courage changed the course of history. It is also a state of contrasts. The Chesapeake Bay connects communities that can sometimes feel worlds apart. Baltimore's neighborhoods and Western Maryland's mountains belong to the same state as the farms and waterways of the Eastern Shore. Historic towns sit beside modern research institutions. Affluent suburban communities exist within driving distance of neighborhoods confronting poverty, disconnection and violence. But Maryland has always been more than its differences. Its history repeatedly returns to one idea: When circumstances become difficult, Marylanders find a way forward. That history matters today. Because perhaps one of the most important questions Maryland can ask is not simply what happened here before us. It is: What are we going to teach the generation coming after us? BEFORE THERE WAS A STATE, THERE WAS THE CHESAPEAKE Maryland's story begins long before European settlement. The Chesapeake Bay itself was formed thousands of years ago as rising waters flooded the ancient Susquehanna River valley. Indigenous peoples inhabited the region for millennia before Europeans arrived. The Maryland State Archives notes that Indigenous settlement in the Chesapeake region stretches back thousands of years. The Bay eventually became central to Maryland's identity. Oysters. Blue crabs. Fishing. Farming. Shipbuilding. Ports. Watermen. Transportation. The Chesapeake did more than provide Maryland with an economy. It connected Maryland's communities. And near the place where the Susquehanna River meets that Chesapeake Bay sits Havre de Grace. That geographic position would eventually place this small Maryland community directly inside the story of American survival. HAVRE DE GRACE: A SMALL CITY WITH A LARGE PLACE IN HISTORY On the morning of May 3, 1813, residents of Havre de Grace awoke to war. British forces attacked the town during the War of 1812. According to the National Park Service, cannon and Congreve rocket fire shook the community as roughly 400 enemy troops approached in 19 barges. The local militia was vastly outnumbered. British forces entered Havre de Grace, moving through the community and burning and confiscating property. Buildings burned. Families fled. A community was devastated. But Havre de Grace did not disappear. It rebuilt. That distinction matters. Resilience does not mean that nothing bad happens to you. Resilience means that destruction does not get the final word. Havre de Grace's history therefore offers something greater than a local historical anecdote. It provides a lesson that can still be taught to a child today: What happens to you matters. What you decide to do afterward matters too. That idea is at the heart of the THINKER philosophy. FROM HAVRE DE GRACE TO FORT McHENRY The British campaign in the Chesapeake did not end at Havre de Grace. The conflict eventually reached Baltimore. On September 13–14, 1814, British forces bombarded Fort McHenry for approximately 25 hours. Yet Baltimore's defenses held. Francis Scott Key witnessed the bombardment and, after seeing the enormous American flag still flying above the fort, wrote the words that eventually became “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The song became the official national anthem in 1931. Think about the symbolism. The anthem Americans sing before sporting events, presidential ceremonies and national commemorations grew from a moment when Maryland was under attack. The rockets were real. The bombs were real. The uncertainty was real. And yet, in the morning, the flag was still there. That is Maryland history. But it is also a lesson in perseverance. WHY IS MARYLAND CALLED THE “OLD LINE STATE”? Go farther back, to the American Revolution. During the Battle of Brooklyn in 1776, Maryland soldiers fought in a desperate action as American forces faced the British. The soldiers remembered as the Maryland 400 became legendary for their courage. Maryland State Archives materials connect those troops and the Maryland Line to the tradition behind Maryland's famous nickname: The Old Line State. Again, the lesson is larger than the battlefield. These were people confronted with overwhelming circumstances who nevertheless stood their ground. Maryland's history keeps repeating that theme. Courage under pressure. A STATE THAT HELPED DEFINE FREEDOM—AND ALSO HAD TO CONFRONT ITS CONTRADICTIONS Maryland's history should never be romanticized by telling only the comfortable parts. In 1649, Maryland's colonial legislature passed An Act Concerning Religion, an important early statute providing a degree of religious liberty. Maryland State Archives describes it as one of the pioneering colonial legislative efforts to guarantee religious liberty. Its protections, however, were limited by the standards of modern religious freedom. At the same time, Maryland became deeply entangled in slavery. That contradiction is essential to understanding the state. Because Maryland would also produce two people who became towering symbols of the fight for freedom. HARRIET TUBMAN: COURAGE FROM MARYLAND'S EASTERN SHORE Harriet Tubman was born enslaved on Maryland's Eastern Shore around 1822. She escaped slavery and then repeatedly risked her own freedom to help others escape. She later served the Union cause during the Civil War and became an enduring advocate for human freedom. Tubman's story belongs to America. But it began in Maryland. Imagine teaching young Maryland students not merely her name, but the thinking behind her courage. She encountered a system designed to tell her that she had no power. Yet she assessed danger. She learned. She navigated. She acted. She returned for others. She created a legacy. Those are not dusty lessons confined to a history textbook. Those are leadership lessons. FREDERICK DOUGLASS: EDUCATION BECAME A PATH TO FREEDOM Frederick Douglass was also born enslaved on Maryland's Eastern Shore, in 1818. At approximately eight years old, he was sent to Baltimore. His experiences there became an important part of his journey toward literacy, freedom, abolitionism and national leadership. Douglass eventually became one of America's greatest abolitionists, writers, speakers and statesmen. His story presents another lesson urgently relevant to education today: Learning can alter the direction of a human life. A young person does not have to remain limited by the circumstances into which that person was born. Maryland has already proven that. THURGOOD MARSHALL: FROM BALTIMORE CLASSROOMS TO THE SUPREME COURT Then consider Baltimore-born Thurgood Marshall. Marshall attended segregated schools in Baltimore, including P.S. 103 and Frederick Douglass High School. He went on to become a formidable civil-rights attorney and eventually the first African American justice of the United States Supreme Court. There is extraordinary symbolism in that journey. A Black child educated in segregated Baltimore schools eventually helped dismantle legal segregation. He did not simply complain about an unjust system. He studied it. He understood it. He challenged it strategically. He helped change it. What better lesson could Maryland offer its students about the power of disciplined thinking? BALTIMORE HELPED PUT AMERICA ON TRACKS Maryland's influence extends far beyond politics and war. On February 28, 1827, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was chartered for commercial transportation of freight and passengers. The Library of Congress identifies it as the first U.S. railway chartered for that purpose. The railroad became enormously important to Baltimore's development as a commercial center. Tracks originating in Baltimore helped connect communities and commerce across an expanding country. Maryland wasn't merely watching America develop. Maryland was helping move America forward. ABERDEEN: MARYLAND'S ROLE IN NATIONAL DEFENSE Travel north from Baltimore toward Harford County and another part of Maryland's national story emerges. Aberdeen Proving Ground was established in 1917, after America's entry into World War I created an urgent need for a larger site where the Army could test munitions. The Army selected land along the Chesapeake Bay in Harford County. For more than a century, the Aberdeen area has therefore been connected to American defense, science, testing and technological development. And only a short distance away sits Havre de Grace. The region connecting Baltimore, Aberdeen and Havre de Grace is not peripheral to American history. It has repeatedly been part of it. AND THEN THERE WAS USS MARYLAND On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor. Among the battleships moored along Battleship Row was USS Maryland (BB-46). Maryland was positioned inboard of USS Oklahoma during the attack. The Naval History and Heritage Command records Maryland among the battleships caught in the assault that brought the United States directly into World War II. USS Maryland survived Pearl Harbor. She was repaired. And she returned to war. The ship went on to participate in major Pacific operations during World War II. Once again, Maryland's name became associated with survival followed by action. Hit—but not finished. That phrase could describe many chapters of Maryland history. And perhaps it can describe some Maryland communities today. NOW WE MUST TALK ABOUT THE MARYLAND OF TODAY History is valuable only if we are willing to learn from it. Maryland has extraordinary communities, schools, universities, businesses, families and opportunities. It also has young people growing up amid circumstances that demand serious attention. Violence cannot be reduced to a slogan or blamed on one group of people. Its causes and protective factors operate across individuals, relationships, families, schools, communities and society. The CDC therefore recommends comprehensive prevention strategies rather than pretending that one intervention can solve every dimension of youth or community violence. Baltimore itself has recognized the importance of intervention. Baltimore City has previously implemented school-based violence intervention efforts involving trained violence interrupters and restorative specialists to mediate conflicts before they escalate. That is important. But what if we also work earlier? What if we teach children a repeatable thinking process for the moments before a bad decision? What if we teach accountability without humiliation? Conflict resolution without weakness? Leadership without arrogance? Discipline without hopelessness? And problem-solving instead of retaliation? THE THINKER METHOD™: SEVEN PRINCIPLES FOR THE MOMENT BEFORE THE DECISION The THINKER Method™ is built around seven principles: T — TAKE OWNERSHIP Teach young people to distinguish between what happened to them and what they can control next. H — HONOR PRINCIPLES Help students establish values that remain important even when emotions, peer pressure or conflict are pulling them elsewhere. I — IDENTIFY THE REAL PROBLEM The argument may not be the real problem. The social-media post may not be the real problem. The insult may not be the real problem. Students can be taught to stop and identify what is actually driving a conflict before reacting. N — NAVIGATE CHALLENGES STRATEGICALLY Not every challenge requires confrontation. Walking away can be strategy. Asking for help can be strategy. Talking can be strategy. Reporting danger can be strategy. Changing friends can be strategy. Planning for tomorrow can be strategy. K — KEEP LEARNING Mistakes should have consequences, but they should also become opportunities for learning. E — EXECUTE CONSISTENTLY A better decision made once is encouraging. Better decisions repeated over time become character. R — REVIEW & REFINE What worked? What failed? What could I do differently next time? That final question may be one of the most important questions we can teach a child. COULD THIS HELP REDUCE VIOLENCE? We must be responsible with that question. No credible educator should claim that a seven-principle curriculum, by itself, will eliminate violence. The THINKER Method™ should not be presented as a replacement for counselors, mental-health professionals, educators, violence interrupters, restorative-practice programs, family intervention, law enforcement when necessary, or other evidence-based approaches. Instead, it could be developed and independently evaluated as one complementary prevention and youth-development tool. There is good reason to investigate that possibility. The CDC reports that restorative practices can strengthen school connectedness and positive peer relationships. Students who feel connected to their schools and teachers are less likely to report experiences including violence and other risky behaviors. That suggests an important direction. The THINKER Method™ could be tested alongside established approaches—not competing with them. IMAGINE A THINKER PILOT IN BALTIMORE Imagine selecting a small group of participating schools or youth organizations. Students would not simply receive lectures. They would work through real situations. Someone insults you online. What do you do next? Two friends are preparing to fight. What do you do next? You failed a class. What do you do next? Someone pressures you to prove yourself. What do you do next? You made a terrible mistake yesterday. What do you do today? Each situation becomes an opportunity to apply: Take Ownership. And then researchers and educators measure the results. Did disciplinary incidents change? Did attendance change? Did students' sense of belonging change? Did conflict-resolution skills improve? Did classroom engagement improve? Did students report thinking differently before reacting? Did participating families notice changes at home? If the program works, expand it. If parts do not work, change them. That itself is THINKER principle number seven: Review & Refine. BUT THIS SHOULD NEVER BECOME “A PROGRAM FOR INNER-CITY KIDS” That would miss the entire point. Accountability is not an urban problem. Decision-making is not a Baltimore problem. Communication is not a low-income problem. Every young person needs these skills. A teenager in Baltimore City may confront one set of pressures. A teenager in Bel Air, Columbia, Bethesda, Annapolis, Frederick, Ocean City, Southern Maryland or Western Maryland may encounter another. Suburban families face bullying, isolation, academic pressure, social-media conflict, substance use, family breakdown, anxiety about the future and countless other challenges. Different circumstances. Same fundamental question: How do I respond intelligently to what life puts in front of me? That is why the THINKER Method™ should never belong to one ZIP code, race, income level or type of school. It should be adaptable. Urban. Suburban. Rural. Public schools. Private schools. Youth organizations. Families. Workforce programs. Community organizations. And eventually, perhaps, workplaces. FAMILIES MUST BE PART OF THE EQUATION A child does not stop being a student when the school bell rings. If we truly want stronger communities, families should have access to the same language students learn. Imagine a parent being able to say: “Let's identify the real problem.” A teacher uses the same phrase. A mentor uses it. A coach uses it. The student recognizes it. Now we are no longer teaching a lesson. We are building a culture. Family materials could therefore accompany student programming so that THINKER principles move beyond the classroom. MARYLAND HISTORY ITSELF COULD BECOME PART OF THE CURRICULUM This is where the concept becomes uniquely Maryland. Students could learn THINKER principles through people and events from their own state. Take Ownership: Examine leadership and responsibility during moments of Maryland history. Honor Principles: Study Harriet Tubman's extraordinary willingness to risk herself for freedom. Identify the Real Problem: Examine Frederick Douglass and the role literacy played in his understanding of oppression and freedom. Navigate Challenges Strategically: Study Thurgood Marshall's legal strategy against segregation. Keep Learning: Explore Maryland's tradition of education, science and innovation. Execute Consistently: Examine generations of Marylanders who built institutions, businesses and communities. Review & Refine: Study moments when Maryland and America had to confront injustice, failure and contradiction and choose a different direction. Suddenly history is no longer: Memorize this date. History becomes: What does this teach me about the decision I have to make today? FROM HAVRE DE GRACE TO BALTIMORE And this is where my own journey enters the story. I come from Havre de Grace. I did not create The THINKER Method™ because I believe people need another motivational slogan. I created it because I have seen what decisions can do. I have seen struggle. I have seen mistakes. I have seen perseverance. And I have learned that circumstances can influence our lives tremendously—but eventually each of us encounters a moment when we have to decide what comes next. That lesson existed in Maryland long before I gave seven principles a name. Havre de Grace was attacked. It rebuilt. Fort McHenry was bombarded. The flag remained. Harriet Tubman was born enslaved. She became a liberator. Frederick Douglass was denied freedom and education. He became one of America's great voices. Thurgood Marshall attended segregated Baltimore schools. He eventually sat on the United States Supreme Court. USS Maryland was attacked at Pearl Harbor. She returned to service. Different centuries. Different struggles. Different people. But beneath them is a remarkably similar idea: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT MATTERS. MARYLAND'S NEXT GREAT LEGACY MAY BE SITTING IN A CLASSROOM RIGHT NOW Somewhere in Baltimore today may be a future judge. Somewhere in Harford County may be an inventor. Somewhere on the Eastern Shore may be a future governor. Somewhere in Prince George's County may be an entrepreneur. Somewhere in Western Maryland may be an engineer. Somewhere in Montgomery County may be a teacher who changes thousands of lives. And somewhere in a classroom we have stopped expecting much from may be a child capable of changing the world. We do not know which child. That is precisely why we cannot give up on any of them. Maryland's history was not created exclusively by people who inherited easy circumstances. Much of it was created by people who confronted difficult ones. Our responsibility now is to give the next generation the knowledge, tools, expectations and opportunities to write its chapter. THE MARYLAND CHALLENGE So perhaps Maryland should challenge itself. Not merely: How do we punish bad decisions? But: How do we teach better decision-making before those decisions are made? Not merely: How do we stop violence? But: How do we build belonging, responsibility, conflict-resolution skills, opportunity and hope strongly enough that fewer young people see violence as their answer? Not merely: What is wrong with our children? But: What have we taught them—and what else can we teach them? The THINKER Method™ deserves to be tested against those questions. Not because it promises miracles. Because Maryland's children deserve serious experimentation with responsible, measurable ideas that may help. Start small. Partner with educators. Listen to students. Include parents. Work with existing violence-prevention and restorative-practice professionals. Measure outcomes independently. Publish the results. Improve what fails. Expand what works. That is not simply a program strategy. That is the THINKER Method™ itself. THE STATE THAT TAUGHT AMERICA TO ENDURE CAN TEACH ANOTHER GENERATION TO THINK Maryland has already given America extraordinary chapters. The Maryland 400. Havre de Grace. Fort McHenry. The Star-Spangled Banner. Harriet Tubman. Frederick Douglass. The B&O Railroad. Thurgood Marshall. Aberdeen Proving Ground. USS Maryland. The Chesapeake Bay. And countless Marylanders whose names never reached history books but who raised families, built communities, worked the water, taught children, defended the country, opened businesses and kept going. Now comes another chapter. It will not be written only in Annapolis. It will be written in Baltimore classrooms. In suburban kitchens. On basketball courts. Inside community centers. At family dinner tables. In churches. In businesses. And in the decisions Maryland's young people make when no adult is standing beside them. Our history tells them: You come from people who endured. Our schools can tell them: You are capable of learning. Our families can tell them: Your decisions matter. And The THINKER Method™ can ask them one final question: WHAT WILL YOU DO NEXT? Because Maryland does not need another generation defined by what went wrong. It needs a generation equipped to determine what happens next. Stop Complaining. Start Thinking.™ Transform Minds. Build Leaders. Create Legacies.™ Be a THINKER. Make an Impact. James W. Jenkins The THINKER Method™ is a developing educational, leadership, family and personal-development framework. Any school-based implementation should be conducted in partnership with qualified educators and community professionals and evaluated using measurable outcomes.
Honor Principles.
Identify the Real Problem.
Navigate Challenges Strategically.
Keep Learning.
Execute Consistently.
Review & Refine.
Author • Entrepreneur • Creator
Founder, The THINKER Method™
JamesJenkinsAuthorLLC/LiteralExcellenceusa.org
James Jenkins Founder
