History XVI - XVIII

The territory of today's Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - played an important role in the history of Poland. In the fourteenth century Poland and Lithuania united in a commonwealth, with Poland the dominant partner. Eventually, this extended Polish territory to the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. North of Lithuania along the Baltic lay a collection of principalities and duchies with names such as Esthonia, Livonia, Semigallia, Samogitia and Kurlandia.

Read more: Polish Courland

The story of Poland's 1791 May 3rd Constitution is a tale full of intrigue, romanticism and determination. When the Sejm (Polish parliament) established May 3rd as a day of celebration they were reminding Poles and their friends everywhere that the May 3rd Constitution was and is an appropriate symbol of a people and a nation's determination to celebrate the ideals of justice, liberty and honor of all peoples.

Read more: The Radicalism of the May 3rd Constitution

Stefan Zarniecki's Division and Boleslav Orlicki's Light Artillery, as pictured above, held a two days authentic encampment here at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, just north of Baltimore City, on November 15-16, 2003. The two military formations are affiliates of the Sienkiewicz Society's Living History Project. The mission of the Project is to present the material and military culture of the mid-17th Century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during the 1653-1683 period.

Read more: Polish Military Re-enactors