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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."
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"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.
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"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 Baltimorewith the approval of his
assemblyofficially 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.
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/explorers-settlers/intro26.htm
Last Updated: 22-Mar-2005
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