ANALYSIS/OPINION: While I would never defend House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, I would defend her father as being typical for his time (“What to do about Nancy Pelosi’s father?” Web, May 11). Mr. Tyrrell needs to spend some additional time on the history of Maryland immediately before and during the U.S. Civil War. A visit to the now renamed Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore would be a good start. However, as the new name suggests, the organization probably is much more “woke” today than it was a decade or two ago. Maryland tried to remain neutral in the Civil war, but that was simply not possible for several reasons. As a result Maryland did not secede, but it might have if the Union Army had not intervened. But Maryland was invaded and both Annapolis and Baltimore were occupied, using troops from Massachusetts, New York and other states.