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Historical Background

The British Colonials and Progenitors (continued)

THE PROPRIETARY COLONIES

After the founding of Virginia, the British Crown established all the other middle and southern colonies under the proprietary system, which it had previously used to settle Maine and New Hampshire. Under this system, which succeeded the joint-stock company as a device to build England's colonial empire, the King granted large areas and the sovereign right to rule them to proprietors, his favorites or those to whom he was indebted. The proprietors were, in essence, feudal lords, though they were sometimes required to yield to the people certain political privileges and powers. The proprietors granted land to settlers on their own terms, could mortgage their grants, or could make subgrants.

MARYLAND: ANOTHER RELIGIOUS REFUGE

Sir George Calvert was a close friend and supporter of James I. For his services, in 1617, James rewarded him with a knighthood; in 1619, named him secretary of state; in 1620, gave him a substantial annuity; in 1623, granted him lands in Newfoundland; and, in 1625, named him Baron of Baltimore and deeded him a large estate in Ireland. In 1624, Baltimore had announced his adherence to Roman Catholicism and resigned as secretary of state because of his unwillingness to take the Oath of Supremacy. In 1627, he attempted to settle the Newfoundland grant, which he called Avalon, but abandoned it because of the severity of the weather. The following year, he visited Virginia, where he found the climate favorable.

Denied permission to live in Virginia because of his religion, Lord Baltimore returned home and appealed to the King for help. Charles I, who may have had secret inclinations toward Catholicism, granted him a tract of land north of Virginia, but before the grant was consummated Lord Baltimore died, in 1632. The grant passed to his son Cecilius Calven, second Lord Baltimore, who named the region of the grant "Maryland" and proceeded to establish a haven for English Catholics. The grant conveyed almost absolute powers to the Baltimores. They could not only own and dispose of the land, but they could govern it with few restrictions. Their laws and decrees, however, had to be in harmony with those of England and had to be made "with the advice, assent, and approbation of the freemen or the greater part of them or their representatives."

"Ark and Dove." These ships brought the first colonists to Maryland. From a modern watercolor by John Moll. (Courtesy, Maryland Historical Society.)

The young Baltimore soon organized a colonizing expedition and appointed his brother, Leonard Calvert, to lead it. In 1634, more than 200 settlers, in 2 ships, landed in Maryland and established the town of St. Marys. Twenty men in the group were "gentlemen" and received feudal grants from Baltimore; the remainder were laborers and workmen. About half were Catholic, two of whom were Jesuit priests. From the beginning, the colony fared far better than any previous English settlement in the New World. The location was favorable, the Indians were friendly, and Governor Calvert made certain to profit from the mistakes that had been made in settling Virginia. Moreover, he could obtain emergency supplies from Virginia or New England instead of making a long voyage to England.

Despite the colony's prosperity, its growth was slow because, strangely enough, few English Catholics cared to migrate; and because Baltimore insisted on an obsolescent plan of land tenure, which involved the renewal of long-outmoded feudal concepts. Under this plan, in the first years some 60 manors of 1,000 acres or more were established. Yeomen farmers, however, formed the backbone of the venture.

"Founding of Maryland." From a painting by Emmanuel Leutze. (Courtesy, Maryland Historical Society.)

Partially to encourage the migration of Protestant workingmen to populate his grant and partially in the spirit of religious freedom, in 1649 Baltimore—with the approval of his assembly—officially proclaimed the religious toleration that he had practiced from the beginning. He was also probably motivated by the ascendancy of the Puritans in England at the time and the threat that they posed to the continuation of his grant. The Maryland Toleration Act promised freedom of worship and assembly to all who would profess belief in the Holy Trinity.

Many Puritans had immigrated into Maryland in 1648, including a substantial group from Virginia. Within a short time, the Puritans wielded more power than the Catholics. In 1654, they gained control of the assembly; deposed Baltimore's Governor, William Stone, himself a Puritan; and amended the Toleration Act to exclude all but Puritans. Meanwhile, Lord Baltimore had been deprived by the Puritan Parliament of his rights to govern the colony. He appealed to Oliver Cromwell, who ultimately sided with him against the Puritan rebels in Maryland. In 1657, his rights were restored and the bigotry of the amended Toleration Act corrected.

In the wake of the anti-Catholicism of the Glorious Revolution in England, in 1691 the third Lord Baltimore lost his governmental privileges, and Maryland became a royal colony. His conversion to the Anglican faith in 1713, however, prompted the return of the proprietorship 2 years later, the Baltimores retaining control until the War for Independence. But intolerance of Catholicism, which had begun after 1691, continued to plague Maryland. The fear of Catholicism was not restricted to Puritans; it was present in all other Protestant groups. In England, French Catholic support for the deposed Stuart pretenders to the throne was a constant menace to the stability of the government.