Michael Brooks
Maryland was founded as a haven for Catholics, who were persecuted in England, by George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, in 1632. However, upon his death, the grant was transferred to his son Cecil, the 2nd Baron Baltimore, who became the founder of the colony. The colony was named after Henrietta Maria, the Catholic queen consort of King Charles I, who granted the charter for Maryland. The Calvert family recruited Catholic aristocrats and Protestant settlers for Maryland, luring them with generous land grants and a policy of religious toleration.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year founded | 1634 |
| Founder | George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore |
| Successor | Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore |
| Colony named after | Henrietta Maria, Queen Consort of Charles I |
| Purpose | A haven for Catholics persecuted in England |
| Religious freedom | Yes, for all Christians |
| Religious strife | Yes, between Anglicans, Puritans, Catholics, and Quakers |
| Religious tolerance | Yes, until Protestants swept Catholics out of the legislature |
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What You'll Learn
George Calvert's vision for a Catholic haven
George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, was a Catholic who wished to create a haven for English Catholics in the New World. He had lost his title of Secretary of State to King Charles I upon announcing his Catholicism in 1625. Calvert had visited the Americas and founded a colony in the future Canadian province of Newfoundland, called Avalon. He then convinced the King to grant him a second territory in a more southern, temperate climate.
In 1632, King Charles I of England granted a charter to George Calvert, yielding him proprietary rights to a region east of the Potomac River in exchange for a share of the income derived from the land. The territory was named Maryland in honour of Henrietta Maria, the Catholic queen consort of Charles I. George Calvert intended to establish a haven for Catholics persecuted in England, and he also wanted to demonstrate that Catholics and Protestants could live together peacefully.
George Calvert died before settlement began, and his vision was carried on by his son, Cecil, who became the second Lord Baltimore. In 1633, Cecil Calvert warned his Catholic and Protestant colonists, who were leaving for the New World, that they were not to offend one another in matters of religion. In 1634, the first English settlers—a carefully selected group of Catholics and Protestants—arrived at St. Clement's Island aboard the Ark and the Dove. They shared a single chapel building at St. Mary's.
However, religious strife was common in the early years, and the Calvert family's vision of a Catholic haven in Maryland faced many challenges. The American Puritans, growing more numerous in Maryland and supported by Puritans in England, sought to revoke the religious freedoms guaranteed in the founding of the colony. In 1644, Protestant rebels led by Claiborne and Ingle seized control of St. Mary's City, and Catholic Governor Calvert escaped to the Virginia Colony. The rebellion was put down in 1647, but religious tensions continued. In 1649, the House of Delegates passed the Maryland Act of Toleration, granting religious freedom to all Christians. Unfortunately, within a decade, Protestants swept the Catholics out of the legislature, and religious strife ensued once more.
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The founding of St. Mary's settlement
The founding of the St. Mary's settlement in March 1634 marked the beginning of the Colony of Maryland, then known as the Province of Maryland. It was the fourth oldest permanent English settlement in what would become the United States.
The settlement was established by Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore, on land purchased from the Yaocomaco/Yoacamaco tribe, a branch of the Piscataway Indian Nation. The site was chosen by Leonard Calvert, who led the expedition and became the governor of the new colony. The settlers built their dwellings, sheds, and public buildings, while also utilising the existing native buildings. St. Mary's City was laid out in imitation of Italian Baroque city plans, with the town centre located at the intersection of two long triangles. The State House and the principal chapel were built at the far edges of these triangles, reflecting the Catholic heritage and the ideal of the separation of church and state.
The first colonists to Maryland arrived at St. Clement's Island, establishing the settlement of St. Mary's. Led by Leonard Calvert, two ships, The Ark and The Dove, set sail from the Isle of Wight, carrying settlers, Jesuit missionaries, and indentured servants. The ships arrived at St. Clement's Island on March 25, 1634, and Father Andrew White, who accompanied the colonists, celebrated the first Roman Catholic Mass. The settlers then moved to the site of St. Mary's City, where they lived among the Yaocomaco Indians, who assisted them in establishing their settlement.
The founding of St. Mary's City was significant as it became the first North American colonial settlement established with a specific mandate to provide a haven for people of both Catholic and Protestant faiths. This reflected the vision of Lord George Calvert, who sought to create a place where English Catholics could escape religious persecution. The Maryland Toleration Act, passed in 1649, further solidified this commitment to religious freedom by granting liberty to all Christians.
St. Mary's City served as the colonial capital of Maryland from 1634 until 1694 or 1695, when the capital was moved to Annapolis. The site of St. Mary's City holds historical and archaeological importance, with ongoing excavations providing insights into the early colonial history of Maryland.
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Maryland's Act of Toleration
Maryland was founded by George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, a Catholic, in 1634. The territory was named after Henrietta Maria, the Catholic queen consort of King Charles I of England, who granted a charter to George Calvert, yielding proprietary rights to the region east of the Potomac River.
George Calvert intended Maryland to be a haven for English Catholics fleeing religious persecution. However, the colony was also meant to serve as a source of income for the Calverts and their descendants. The first settlers were a group of carefully selected Catholics and Protestants, who arrived at St. Clement's Island aboard the Ark and the Dove.
The Maryland Toleration Act, also known as "An Act Concerning Religion," was passed on April 21, 1649, by the colonial assembly, which was dominated by Protestants at the time. The Act was meant to ensure religious freedom for Christian settlers of diverse persuasions in the colony. It allowed freedom of worship for Trinitarian Christians but sentenced to death anyone who denied the divinity of Jesus or the Holy Trinity. The law also forbade residents from blaspheming or referring to another's religion disparagingly and provided for honouring the Sabbath.
The Maryland Toleration Act was a progressive document for its time, offering more religious freedom to the citizens of Maryland than those in England and most British colonies. It was the first law in America to refer specifically to "the free exercise" of religion, influencing similar laws in other colonies and laying the groundwork for the First Amendment in the American Bill of Rights.
However, it is important to note that the Act did not extend religious freedom to non-Christians, and Jews, Unitarians, and other non-Trinitarian Christians still risked punishment or death for practising their religions. Additionally, the Act was revoked in 1654 by William Claiborne, a Puritan sympathizer, during a period of religious strife. 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.
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Religious strife and rebellion
Maryland was founded as a haven for Catholics by George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, in 1632. George Calvert was a Catholic who had been stripped of his title of Secretary of State to King Charles I after announcing his Catholicism. He wished to create a refuge for Catholics in the New World, and the King granted him a charter to a region east of the Potomac River, which was named Maryland in honour of the Queen consort, Henrietta Maria, who was also Catholic.
However, George Calvert died before the settlement of Maryland began, and so his son Cecil, the 2nd Baron Baltimore, took over. The first colonists to Maryland arrived at St. Clement's Island in 1634, a group of 220 Catholics and Protestants led by Leonard and George Calvert, brothers of Cecil Calvert. The early years of the colony were marked by religious strife, as the Calvert family attempted to balance the interests of both Catholics and Protestants. In 1633, Cecil Calvert warned his colonists not to offend one another in matters of religion, and for 15 years, the settlers obeyed these directions. However, religious disputes did occur, such as in 1638 when a Catholic, William Lewis, was charged with proselytizing by force of his authority, and in 1641 when a Catholic, Thomas Gerard, was charged with interfering in the religion of Protestants.
As the number of Puritans in Maryland grew, religious conflict intensified, and the Puritans, supported by their counterparts in England, sought to revoke the religious freedoms that had been guaranteed in the founding of the colony. In 1644, during the English Civil War, there was an uprising of Protestants led by Claiborne and privateer Captain Richard Ingle, who seized control of St. Mary's City, the capital of the Maryland colony. Catholic Governor Calvert escaped to the Virginia Colony, and the Protestant pirates began plundering the property of anyone who did not swear allegiance to the Parliament of England, mainly Catholics. The rebellion was put down in 1647, but this led to the 1655 Battle of the Severn, where moderate Protestants and Catholics loyal to Lord Baltimore fought against Puritans loyal to the Commonwealth of England.
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 ensued once more. In 1689, John Coode led a rebellion that removed Lord Baltimore, a Catholic, from power in Maryland. Despite these challenges, Maryland remained a place where Catholics and Protestants could live and worship together, and it played an important role in the colonial legacy of religious freedom that culminated in the First Amendment in the American Bill of Rights.
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The Calverts' legacy in Maryland
The Calverts were a prominent family in Maryland's history, with their name adorning the state's county and its founding colony. George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, was granted proprietary rights to the region by King Charles I in 1632. However, he died before the charter could be granted, so his son Cecil took over as the second Lord Baltimore and inherited his father's plan for Maryland.
The Calverts were Roman Catholics, a faith that was officially condemned in England at the time. They envisioned Maryland as a haven for religious freedom, where Catholics and Protestants could live and worship together peacefully, free from the influence of the English government and monarchy. In 1634, the first English settlers, a mixed group of Catholics and Protestants, arrived at St. Clement's Island and founded the settlement of St. Mary's.
The Calvert family established policies based on liberty of conscience, tolerating the practice of various Christian religions, including Catholicism. This was a progressive move compared to the other colonies surrounding Maryland. The Maryland Act of Toleration, passed in 1649, granted religious freedom to all Christians, further solidifying the colony's commitment to religious liberty.
However, religious conflict ensued in the following years. The American Puritans, supported by their English counterparts, sought to revoke the religious freedoms guaranteed in the colony's founding. Despite these challenges, Maryland remained a place where those persecuted for their religious beliefs could seek refuge.
In conclusion, the Calverts' legacy in Maryland is characterised by their commitment to religious freedom, particularly for Catholics, and their establishment of a colony that tolerated the practice of various Christian faiths. Their influence extended beyond religion, shaping the economic and geographical landscape of the state, and their contributions continue to be remembered in the state's place names and historical records.
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Frequently asked questions
George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, wished to create a haven for English Catholics in the New World.
George Calvert was a Catholic himself and wanted to establish a sanctuary for his persecuted fellow Catholics.
No, he died in 1632 before he could found Maryland. The charter was then transferred to his son, Cecil Calvert, who officially founded the colony.
Some historians believe it was a form of compensation for George Calvert having been stripped of his title of Secretary of State upon announcing his Catholicism.
While Maryland was founded on the principles of religious tolerance, it was not without its religious strife. Religious conflict was strong in the ensuing years as the American Puritans, growing more numerous in Maryland, set out to revoke the religious freedoms that had been guaranteed in the founding.
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