Maryland

 

 

 

     Maryland was an English colony founded in 1634 by Lord Baltimore. Maryland is a located in North America in the Mid Atlantic Region near Virginia and Pennsylvania. George Calvert 1st Baron Baltimore was of a prominent English Catholic family. Lord Baltimore originally wanted to create Maryland for it to be a Haven for English Catholics in the New World. A Haven is a sheltered place or a place of rest well secured. On June 12, 1632 Charles I of England granted the original charter of Maryland. About 12 million acres was granted to Lord Baltimore; however, some of Maryland's territory was lost in 1760s when Charles II granted some land of Pennsylvania to overlap Maryland. A reason on why Charles I wanted granted the colony of Maryland was to occupy Delaware River valley from the Dutch New World territory New Netherlands whom was England's rival at the time.

    On March 25, 1634 the first settlers arrived on St. Clement's Island. Maryland was name after Charles wife Henrietta Maria of France " Terra Mariae Angelice, Maryland". These settlers who landed on St. Clement's Island where led by Leonardo Calvert who is Lord Baltimore's younger brother. Leonardo Calvert later became the new colony's first governor. Some natives they encountered where the Yaocomico. The colonist purchased land from the Yaocomico Indians and founded St. Mary City's. However there were some conflict with Indians in 1642 the colony of Maryland declared war against the Susquehannok. The colony of Maryland was defeated in 1644 but in 1652 a peace treaty between the Susquehannok and the colony of Maryland was formed.

    Maryland's economy blossomed from the acres of tobacco. Tobacco was a major product shipped to Europe at some points in tobacco was used as currency. Maryland depended for labor to work on their tobacco fields the first workers were white indentured servants. These white indentured servants were penniless people who worked for years in order to pay for their passage from the Old World. In the late 17th century these indentured servants eventually changed to a large number of black of slaves that were imported. The main religion in Maryland was Catholicism but heavy tides of Protestants threated to submerge the Catholics. So with great support the Catholics of Maryland supported the Act of Toleration which was passed in 1649. The Act of Toleration granted toleration to all Christians. Maryland sheltered more Roman Catholics than any other English colony in the New world.