Women of Annapolis (private tours only)

It was the “Golden Age” of Annapolis. Women of all social classes lived in 18th-century Annapolis - slaves, indentures, gentry and the middling class.

Your colonial-clad guide will show you where they lived, where they worked and what they wore. Fashions were not just fashionable, but told a great deal about who you were. Learn about all of this and more:

• Come to know the wives that stood behind Maryland's four signers of the Declaration of Independence and what caused each to meet an early demise.
• Learn why women in the 18th century were often tavern keepers
• Who was the woman that published and printed the Maryland Gazette?
• Was being an actress a respectable profession?
• Learn which professions were open to women, and which were not!,

You are also invited into the Sands' House, the private home of Ann Jensen, a direct descendant of the Sands family. The Sands' House is believed to be the oldest house in Annapolis and has been in the family since 1771.

Ann will be there to show you treasures passed down through generations and treasures unearthed in recent archeological diggs on the premises. She'll also tell you of the seamstresses/tavern keepers of her ancestors.

We will take you into the colonial kitchen of the Hammond-Harwood House, a fine mansion built in 1774. Here you will see where and how city slave women lived in the 18th century. And the lady of a "townhouse" such as this was not simply a lady of leisure; she had dinner parties to plan, silver and china to account for, servants to manage, and a social status to uphold.

Information, laughs and fun await everyone taking this tour - women, men and families!

The women of Annapolis tour is only available as a private tour. Please call us at 410-248-6726 for more information!