Sarah Mitchell
Maryland was the only predominantly Catholic British colony and the first Mass in the British colonies was held there. It was founded in 1632 as a haven for English Catholics, who were facing persecution in England, and was named after the Catholic Queen Henrietta Maria. The colony was granted to Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, whose father, George, had long sought to found a Catholic colony in the New World. Maryland was an early pioneer of religious tolerance in the British colonies, but religious strife was common in the early years, and Puritan rebels briefly seized control of the province. By 1660, the population had gradually become predominantly Protestant, and Catholics faced discrimination and prejudice. In the absence of reliable statistics, it is difficult to ascertain the exact number of Catholics in early Maryland, but estimates for the colony's total population range from 20,000 in 1671 to 153,000 in 1754, with the Catholic population estimated at 8,000 in 1754.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of first settlement | 1634 |
| First inhabitants | Country gentlemen (mostly Catholic), workers and artisans (mostly Protestant) |
| Population in 1671 | 20,000 |
| Population in 1708 | 33,000, including 3,000 Catholics |
| Population in 1754 | 153,000, including 8,000 Catholics |
| Population of Maryland Palatines by 1774 | 50,000 |
| Year Catholics began emigrating to Kentucky | 1774 |
| Number of Catholic families that emigrated to Pottinger's Creek in 1785 | 25 |
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What You'll Learn
Maryland was a refuge for Catholics
Maryland was founded as a refuge for Catholics at the time of the European wars of religion. The colony was granted to Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, in 1632, but it was not settled until 1634. Baltimore's father, George Calvert, had long sought to establish a safe haven for English Catholics in the New World, and after his death, his son Cecil took up the cause. The colony was named after England's Catholic queen, Henrietta Maria, and it became the only predominantly Catholic British colony in what would become the United States.
The first inhabitants of Maryland were a mix of country gentlemen (mostly Catholic) and workers and artisans (mostly Protestant). This religious diversity set the stage for religious freedom in the United States. The Maryland Toleration Act of 1649, one of the first religious toleration laws, was enacted to protect the liberties of Catholics, who soon found themselves in the minority. The Act granted religious freedom to all Christians and laid the foundation for the colonial legacy of religious freedom that would culminate in the First Amendment in the American Bill of Rights.
Despite the Act of Toleration, Catholics in Maryland continued to face persecution and discrimination. In 1644, Richard Ingle, aided by Claiborne, launched an attack on the province, targeting the Catholic colony. Ingle captured and burned St. Mary's, destroyed chapels and residences, and took the Jesuit Father White prisoner to London, where he was indicted as a returned Jesuit priest, an offence punishable by death. Father White narrowly escaped, but the incident caused Lord Baltimore to urge his brother, the governor, to retreat from the province.
In the following decades, the Catholic population in Maryland continued to face challenges. By 1660, the population had gradually become predominantly Protestant due to immigration. While political power remained with the largely Catholic elite, religious strife among Anglicans, Puritans, Catholics, and Quakers was common. Puritan rebels briefly seized control of the province, and in 1689, a rebellion led by John Coode removed Lord Baltimore, a Catholic, from power.
After the American Revolution, restrictions on Catholics eased, and Maryland played a significant role in the development of Catholicism in the United States. Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a wealthy Catholic, signed the United States Declaration of Independence, and the state's legacy of religious freedom became a model for the fledgling nation.
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Religious strife was common
Maryland was founded as a colony in 1632 by Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, whose father, George, had long sought to establish a colony in the New World to serve as a haven for English Catholics, who were facing persecution in England. The colony was named after King Charles I's wife, the devoutly Catholic Queen Henrietta Maria.
Maryland was the only predominantly Catholic British colony and was an early pioneer of religious tolerance in the English colonies. However, despite this, religious strife was common in the early years. Anglicans, Puritans, Catholics, and Quakers all clashed, and Puritan rebels briefly seized control of the province in 1644. This dispute led to armed conflict, with Claiborne seizing Kent Island, and his associate Richard Ingle taking over St. Mary's. Both used religion as a tool to gain popular support, and the avowed object of their piratical raids was the destruction of the Catholic colony of Maryland.
In 1649, the House of Delegates passed the Maryland Act of Toleration, which granted religious freedom to all Christians. However, within a decade, Protestants swept the Catholics out of the legislature, and religious strife continued. By 1660, the population of the province had gradually become predominantly Protestant, although political power remained concentrated in the hands of the largely Catholic elite.
The religious strife in Maryland continued into the late 18th century, with Catholics emigrating to Kentucky from 1774, and in 1785, 25 Catholic families left St. Mary's County for Pottinger's Creek. After the American Revolution, restrictions on Catholics eased, but they still faced discrimination and prejudice as a distinct religious minority.
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Catholics were a minority by 1660
Maryland was founded as a haven for English Catholics in the New World, at a time when Catholics in England were facing persecution. The colony was named after England's Catholic queen Henrietta Maria, and it was granted to George Calvert, a Catholic himself, by King Charles I in 1632.
The first settlers arrived in 1634, a mix of country gentlemen (mostly Catholic) and workers and artisans (mostly Protestant). While Maryland was an early pioneer of religious tolerance in the British colonies, religious strife among Anglicans, Puritans, Catholics, and Quakers was common in the early years. The Maryland Toleration Act of 1649 granted religious freedom to all Christians, but it did not prevent Protestants from sweeping the Catholics out of the legislature within a decade.
By 1660, the population of the Province had gradually become predominantly Protestant due to immigration. However, political power remained concentrated in the hands of the largely Catholic elite, who were mostly related by blood or marriage to the Calverts. This situation would not last, however. In 1689, a rebellion led by John Coode removed Lord Baltimore, a Catholic, from power in Maryland.
The Catholic population of Maryland continued to face restrictions and discrimination, even after American Independence. It was not until the American Revolution that full religious toleration was restored in Maryland, when the Maryland Toleration Act served as a model for the religious freedom enshrined in the First Amendment of the American Bill of Rights.
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The Maryland Act of Toleration
The Act allowed freedom of worship for all Trinitarian Christians in Maryland but sentenced to death anyone who denied the divinity of Jesus. It also forbade residents from referring to another's religion in a disparaging way and provided for honouring the Sabbath. The law was explicit in limiting its effects to Christians, and those who blasphemed by denying the Trinity or the divinity of Jesus Christ could be punished by execution or the seizure of their lands. This meant that Jews, Unitarians, and other dissenters from Trinitarian Christianity who practised their religions risked their lives.
The Maryland Toleration Act was written by Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, and passed by the colonial assembly. Calvert intended the colony to function as a haven for English Catholics fleeing religious persecution. Many of Maryland's first settlers were Catholic, but over time, Anglican and Puritan newcomers outnumbered the early Catholic settlers. By 1649, when the law was passed, the colonial assembly was dominated by Protestants, and the Act was effectively an act of Protestant tolerance.
The Act was revoked in 1654 by William Claiborne, a Virginian who had been appointed as a commissioner by Oliver Cromwell. When the Calverts regained control of Maryland, the Act was reinstated, but it was permanently repealed in 1692 following the Glorious Revolution and the Protestant Revolution in Maryland. Full religious toleration would not be restored in Maryland until the American Revolution.
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Population estimates vary
In 1754, the population of Maryland was estimated to be 153,000, with approximately 8,000 Catholics. Maryland was the only predominantly Catholic British colony before the nation's founding, and it played a significant role in the history of Catholicism in the United States. The colony was established by Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, whose father, George Calvert, had sought to create a haven for English Catholics in the New World during the European wars of religion.
The first settlers arrived in 1634 and included a mix of country gentlemen (mostly Catholic) and workers and artisans (mostly Protestant). Maryland was an early pioneer of religious tolerance in the British colonies, and the Maryland Toleration Act of 1649 granted religious freedom to all Christians. However, despite these efforts, religious strife among Anglicans, Puritans, Catholics, and Quakers was common in the early years.
The population of Maryland also included Palatines from the Holy Roman Empire, who settled mainly in Fredrick County, with their numbers reaching 50,000 by 1774. The Catholic population of Maryland began to emigrate to Kentucky in 1774, and in 1785, twenty-five Catholic families left St. Mary's County for Pottinger's Creek.
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Frequently asked questions
It is difficult to determine how many Catholics emigrated to early Maryland. However, it is estimated that in 1671, the population of Maryland was 20,000, with 3,000 of them being Catholics.
Catholics emigrated to Maryland to flee religious persecution in England and to practice their faith freely in the new colony.
The Catholic emigration to Maryland had a significant impact on the religious landscape of the colony. Maryland became known for its religious tolerance, with the Maryland Act of Toleration in 1649 granting religious freedom to all Christians. The colony also served as a model of religious freedom for the fledgling nation during the American Revolution.
