Maryland

I.MARYLAND

1. Geography

A. Location: Maryland was the first of the Southern Colonies. It was bordered by Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Many rivers and estuaries ran through the province, leading to the Chesapeake Bay which lies in the center Maryland, dividing it in two. The land surrounding this Bay is very flat and straight, which provided great farmland. Maryland also has some access to the Atlantic Ocean. To the south and to the west, lie the Appalachian Mountains. Although The overall geography of the province can be described by five regions. 1. The Atlantic Coastal Plain:  This Part of Maryland is what surrounds the Chesapeake Bay. It is the majority of the province, and is split in two by the Bay. a. The Eastern Shore: This region of Maryland is very wet and marshy. Here there are many swamps such as the Pocomoke Swamp. 1. This region lies on what was known as the Delmarva Peninsula. The name Delmarva comes from the states Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. a. This region was settled by many fishermen. The waters were good for shell fish and other types of sea food. 1. Because of this, many harbors formed in this region. b. The Western Shore: This region is made up of very fertile farmland, where plantations developed throughout colonial times. 1. Tobacco was grown in this region, and eventually wheat was grown here too.

2. Piedmont:  This region cuts through the central part of the province. It consists of low, rolling hills and other elevated landscapes. a. There are many estuaries in this area that lead into the jagged Potomac River, which eventually leads into the Chesapeake Bay. 1. These rivers create some fertile valleys, where many small farms developed during the colonial period. b. This area is also home to a few ridges. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">1. The Dug Hill Ridge is in the north near the border of Pennsylvania. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">2. The Pars Ridge runs southwest through this region.

<span style="color: #808080; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">3. Blue Ridge Region: <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> This area lies west of the Piedmont region, on the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains. It is a very mountainous strip of land that lies near the boarder of Pennsylvania. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">a. This region is home to a few tall peaks. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">1. Two of these mountains are South Mountain and Catoctin Mountain.

<span style="color: #808080; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">4. Appalachian Ridge and Valley: <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> This is a narrow strip of Maryland in the north. It lied between Virginia and Pennsylvania. The segment of this region that was in Maryland was dominated by the Great (Hagerstown) Valley. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">a. The valley portion of this region had many orchards and farms. Many Europeans settled in this region to farm. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">b. The mountainous portion of this region was densely covered in forest. It had a very diverse assortment of trees, which was good for lumber. Some early colonists cut down these trees to sell as lumber.

<span style="color: #808080; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">5. The Appalachian Plateau: <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> This is another heavily forested and mountainous region of Maryland. It is part of the Allegheny region of the Appalachian Mountains. Its many high peaks served as a barrier to the West. Along with the highest peaks, the deepest valleys were in this part of the entire province. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">a. Some colonists chose to settle along the many rivers that cut through the mountains. This was also another good source of lumber for Maryland.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">B. Overall, Maryland is mostly made up of fertile farmland that is perfect for the growing of tobacco. This is Characteristic for many of the southern provinces. Aside from farming, the geography provides for other sources of money such as fishing and lumber. The Potomac River provided as a border between Virginia and Maryland. And the mountains in the west served as a barrier between Maryland and the frontier. This would later postpone westward expansion.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">2. History:

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">A.The area of Maryland was first discovered in 1498, and was explored by a man named John Cabot. Maryland was at first an idea of an English lord named George Calvert. George Calvert grew up as a protestant in the Anglican Church. Throughout his lifetime he witnessed the oppression of Catholics in England, which inspired him to convert to Roman Catholicism. One day the idea came upon Calvert that he could create a region that served as a safe haven for Roman Catholics. Calvert knew that he could also benefit the economy of England if he were to establish a new colony, because of England’s use of Mercantilism. This is a policy when the colonies provide raw materials to the mother country, which takes these materials and manufactures goods to sell to the rest of Europe, and back to their colonies. Using this as leverage, Calvert asked the king of England, Charles I, for a charter to start a colony near Chesapeake Bay. This charter was granted, but not before Calvert died, leaving his plans to his son, Lord Baltimore.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Maryland was settled by the English in the year 1634. Unfortunately for the Catholics, there were more puritan settlers then there were Catholics. Baltimore issued the Maryland Toleration Act, which outlawed the persecution of Catholics in Maryland. This was a step toward creating religious toleration in the English Colonies. This act was not completely pro religious toleration, because it did not protect non-Christians from persecution. The law was amended to state that non-Christians would be killed. The Puritans led a revolt throughout the 1650’s. They outlawed Anglicanism and Christianity, but this revolt was put down in 1658, when the Catholics regained control. The Puritans succeeded in persecuting Catholics during their revolt. Many original churches were burned down.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The people who first founded the capital of the province, called it St. Mary’s City. It was shaped like two triangles, with a school and a Roman Catholic Church in the center of town. In the 18th century, some Puritans migrated from Virginia, and settled in Maryland. They went to a city called Providence, which they later named after Queen Ann. This city was called Annapolis. In 1708, the government was moved to Annapolis, making it the new capital of the Province of Maryland.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The settlement of Maryland was both negative and positive. It was done mostly for religious purposes, which had good intentions. Unfortunately it didn’t work out as perfectly as it could have, because the Puritans found a way to persecute the Roman Catholics. Another negative result of the settlement of Maryland by the Europeans, was that many Native American tribes such as the Shawnee, and Nanticoke, were treated very poorly by the English. They were taken advantage of in every way. Many of them died out because of the spread of European diseases that they were not immune too. Despite its flaws, this province eventually evolved into a very large, economically sound state, because of its large tobacco industry. It was also a step in the right direction for religious tolerance.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">3. Economics:

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">A. Economy of the Province of Maryland: When Maryland was first settled by the English, they set up trading posts where they would exchange European goods for beaver furs with the Native Americans. These furs were traded to Europe where they were sold as clothing. As the years went on the main money maker for this province became farming.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">1. Tobacco was the cash crop of Maryland, meaning it was grown to make a profit. Slaves and indentured servants were needed to work on the fertile plantations of the rich white landowners. More and more of these slaves and servants were needed as the production of tobacco increased. Some of the tobacco was sold throughout the colonies, and the rest was exported to Europe. Along with tobacco, the provincial government encouraged the production of corn on these large plantations. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">a. These indentured servants were often forced to give their labor to plantation owners, in order to pay off debt, receive land to live on and farm, or serve criminal sentences. They would often work in shifts of between three and seven years. Some indentured servants would eventually start their own farms, once they served their time. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">1. When there were less and less indentured servants available, more slaves were imported from Africa. This gave the province of Maryland a very large black population, which at one point reached forty percent. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">b. In the mid 1700’s, Maryland faced some problems in their tobacco industry. While states like Virginia’s (Maryland’s neighbor to the south) tobacco industry soared, Maryland’s tobacco was considered of lesser quality, causing the prices to plummet. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">1. The economy eventually picked up again after the reconstruction period.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">2. In the mid 18th century, when the tobacco prices fell, many people in Maryland began to grow wheat in the Western Portion of the province. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">a. This led to the development of large towns such as the farming village of Frederick and the huge port city of Baltimore.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">3. The majority of the colonists in Maryland owned small farms where they would produce fruits, vegetables and livestock, just enough to keep food on their family’s table.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">4. Other colonists fished in the many rivers of Maryland, or in the Chesapeake Bay.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">5. Yet another source of money in this province were the forests. These woods in inland Maryland were home to many different kinds of trees, which were cut down and sold as lumber.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">6. Triangle Trade: This was a trading system that mostly took place in the New England Colonies. This was the way that colonies like Maryland acquired their slaves. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">a. The colonies traded slaves to the West Indies for molasses, which was made into rum. This rum was then traded to Africa for Slaves.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">4. Social: <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> -Maryland’s first settler’s hunters who came to the area about 10,000 years ago. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> A) Language: Later on a large population of Algonquian speaking people inhabited the area. Once England settled, most people in this area began to speak English.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">B) Religion: Early settlers mostly practiced polytheism but as time progressed white settlers forced most of the Indian tribes out of Maryland. With a large majority of white settlers, Catholicism began to spread rapidly but around the1630’s an expedition was lead by Cecilius Calvert to persecute Catholics and drive them out of Maryland. But in 1634 another expedition was lead by Leonard, Cecilus’s brother, which brought a mix of Catholics and Protestants who founded St. Marys. The earliest white settlers began to plant their cash crop of tobacco and they quickly began to develop as Catholics became a minority. The growing number of Puritans began to take over the colony and they stayed in power from 1654 to 1657. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> C) Women mostly spent their lives cleaning and taking care of children at home. Women also needed to learn how to trade. Once they did learn the trade, they traded with many other neighboring colonies.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">5. Government- <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> A representative government was established in Maryland by 1639. White land owning males were used to represent the people. These men chose as many representatives as they pleased. The proprietor also selected as many representatives as he pleased. The proprietor was also given the right to appoint the governor. There was also a secretary along with the proprietor and governor who together made up Colonial Maryland’s government. In Maryland’s very first legislative assembly the people asserted their rights and dignities and made it clear they wanted equal rights (at least among white land owning males). The proprietor presented a system of laws to the Legislature but it was quickly turned down. They then adopted a Declaration of Rights, which defined the rights of ever person inside the colony. It also stated the powers and duties of every branch of the government. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> A) Charter- On June 20, 1632 Charles I of England granted Maryland its Proprietary charter. The charter had originally been granted to Calvert's father, but he died before the charter was finished so it was given to his son. Maryland's charter created a state ruled made by Lord Baltimore. Lord Baltimore was given almost complete rule over all of the land mentioned in the charter. Baltimore was given about twelve million acres that expanded into and beyond the north border of Virgina. Infact, Colonial Maryland was much larger then present day Maryland <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> -Lord Baltimore was given supreme authority over the land and he made it clear to all of the settlers that he wanted all of them to swear allegiance to him rather then the King of England. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> -Royal- Maryland was obviously a colony of England but it had little to no Royal influence. The colony established its own government and set up its own legal system and set of laws.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">A)The French and Indian War:
====<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Maryland’s involvement in the French and Indian War- The British needed to slow uprising Indian invasions and something needed to be done very quick before the British were demolished by these attacks. Prior to the war land was purchased by Colonial Maryland from Lancelot Jacques, a French Huguenot from Annapolis. In total, the colony gained about 15,000 acres of land as well as an extra 56 acres later on. It was on that very land where one of the most important forts was built during the French and Indian War Fort Frederick is located, purposely, in an excellent strategic location whereby there are no higher elevations nearby from which an attacker would have an advantage. One of its major functions was to maintain communications between Fort Cumberland and Fort Conococheague, as well as provide a safe place for civilians and soldiers against the raiding Indians. Fort Frederick was the cornerstone of Maryland's frontier defense, and truly helped the British defeat the French and put a damper on Indian attacks and raids. ====

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">B)The American Revolution:
====<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Favoring- At first Maryland did not favor independence from Great Britain. The colony later changed its decision to favoring the Revolution and played a major role in the war as well due to the “rising” taxes that the British put on American goods. Contributions-Maryland did not experience any military action during the revolution, but they made contributions by supplying men, arms and ships. In November 1776, with the British threatening Philadelphia, the Continental Congress moved to Annapolis where it remained until the following spring. Although no major battles occurred in Maryland, the colony was famous for its brave and well trained soldiers. It is reported to have spoken admiringly of Maryland's soldiers as the "Old Line," which meant that they were very reliable and useful which is how Maryland got its name of, “The Old Line State”. ====