May 19, 2012

Lord Baltimore

Biography - Lord Baltimore, the Wise Proprietor

IN the years long past and gone, when new countries were being discovered in various parts of the world, it was the habit of kings to give large tracts of these lands upon their favorite subjects.

Sometimes these grants were made to the bold and brave men who had discovered the new land, and at other times they were given as a reward for some service rendered to the king by one of the noblemen of the court.

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Unit 19 - Spirit of Liberty

Unit 18 - Governments

Unit 17 - Canada Falls

Unit 16 - France & Spain

When James I was king of England two large colonies were already settled on the coast of America; Virginia on the south and New England on the north.

Between these two settlements there was a tract of land on which no human beings lived but tribes of Indians The colonies to the north and south had grown and become quite prosperous by this time, and America was regarded as a land of riches and great promise.

The king, wishing to reward Sir George Calvert for faithful services, first created him Lord Baltimore, and then granted him a tract of land directly to the north of the colony of Virginia. Before the necessary papers were made out and the great seal affixed, King James died, but his son, King Charles I, promptly renewed the gift of land to Lord Baltimore, who gave to his new possessions the title of Maryland, in honor of King Charles' wife, Queen Mary.

William Penn

Lord Baltimore's private life and public career proved him to be fitted for the high honors bestowed upon him. He was educated at Oxford University and afterward held positions of trust under the government.

When the grant of for the colony in America was awarded to him he began at once to make plans and to prepare laws, but before these were completed Lord Baltimore suddenly died, and the charter for the possession in the new world passed to his son Cecil, who became the second Lord Baltimore.

Cecil at once started to fit out an expedition with settlers for the colony, but met with strong opposition from the beginning. The members of the Virginia Company, both in America and in England, objected to the new colony and tried in every way to stop it, however two vessels, the Ark and the Dove, set sail for the new world with settlers and supplies.

Lord Baltimore wished and fully intended to accompany this expedition, but his enemies at home so actively opposed his charter and his plans that he thought it wise to remain in England and watch over his affairs there. He regretted this necessity, for it prevented him from ever seeing the colony which he established with so much care and expense.
Although Cecil was not able to join the party on their voyage to the new colony, he carefully prepared a code of laws and appointed his brother, Leonard Calvert, deputy governor of the province.

Leonard took the leadership of the expedition, and the two little vessels, the Ark and the Dove, started on their stormy voyage across the Atlantic. The terms of the charter required that two Indian arrows be delivered every year to the King of England at Windsor Castle, and this contract was always faithfully kept.

When the Ark and the Dove, after a rough passage across the ocean, reached the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay new troubles began to arise. Some distance up the bay and within the boundary lines of the new province of Maryland was Kent Island, upon which William Clayborne, a former Virginian, had settled and established a trading post.

Clayborne felt by reason of his discovery and settlement of the island he was not only the owner, but he bitterly objected to having anyone in authority over him. During his whole life he resisted the governor and council of Maryland, refused to obey their laws, and in many ways succeeded in causing much annoyance.

With the Indian tribes in the neighborhood Lord Baltimore's colony obtained at once friendly relations due to the just laws prepared by Cecil and carefully followed by the colonists. The Indians living in this section of the country were peaceable and well- behaved farmers. They raised large quantities of maize or Indian corn and taught the colonists how to use it for cooking into delicious food, such as corn-bread, pone, and hominy.

The Indians also showed the English where to hunt for the best game and fish, and in return received from the settlers metal goods, tools, and pieces of cloth brought with them from England. The bright colors were especially attractive to both the men and women of the tribes.
Thus for many years the colonists continued to live in pleasant and peaceable relations with their Indian neighbors, sometimes assisting them in fighting the more savage tribes who came to attack them. They cultivated their farms together and many of the Indians were converted to Christianity.

After King Charles the First was put to death and England was governed without a king some disturbances arose in the Maryland colony, and Lord Baltimore was deprived of his power as proprietor. When Charles the Second became king of England the charter of Maryland was restored and Lord Baltimore again given control.

When Cecil, Lord Baltimore, died, his son Charles succeeded to the title and estates. The new proprietor had been governor of the colony for many years and he continued to reside in the province and direct its affairs in person. The tribute of two Indian arrows continued to be paid and delivered to the King of England. The province grew in numbers and wealth under the wise and liberal rule of the Calverts until the Declaration of Independence, when Maryland became one of the United States of America.