History of Canton

Have you ever wondered how the neighborhood of Canton was given its name?The first ethnic Chinese to set foot in the U.S. right here in Baltimore’s Harbor in 1785 when John O’Donnell, an Irish merchant, landed his ship, the Pallas, in Baltimore Harbor in the newly independent United States on August 12, 1785. Dr. Evan Dawley an Assistant Professor of History at Goucher College tells us more about the world-traveler who gave name to an iconic East Baltimore neighborhood and the contribution his family made to establishing Baltimore as a leading hub for trade.