The Dorchester County Civil Rights collection documents the Civil Rights movement occurring in Cambridge, Maryland from 1958 -1990 with the bulk of the materials dating from 1961 – 1970. Materials include newspaper clippings, political literature, and campaign materials relating to the Civil Rights movement in Cambridge as well as three scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings related to civil rights demonstrations in Cambridge. The scrapbooks were maintained by Thomas Applegarth, Jr., a member of the anti-protest Dorchester Business and Citizens Association.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 inspired numerous demonstrations throughout the country, and in the years surrounding 1964 Cambridge, Maryland played host to several racial demonstrations.

From 1961 through 1967 over 500 national guardsmen were intermittently stationed in Cambridge to aid in peacekeeping efforts.  The demonstrations were led by H. Rap Brown, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. The demonstrators demanded school integration, economic equality, low-rent public housing and greater representation in local government.

The demonstrations resulted in property damage, arrests and some demonstrations ended with violence and gunfire.  According to articles within the collection, H. Rap Brown called for the burning of the low-quality black housing in Cambridge, and the local schools had windows and doors broken and defaced.  The demonstrations in Cambridge helped elevate both Rap H. Brown and Governor Spiro Agnew to national prominence.

Folders and scrapbooks are listed by their location in each box; any given subject may be dispersed throughout the entirety of the collection.