Author ........£.......... .-..LSJ. Title ImllHnt. -^f VT isTORY OF Maryland PBEPAKED >r the Use of the Public Schools of the State WILLIAM HAND BROWNE AND J. THOMAS SCHAEF. BALTIMORE: TURNBULL BROTHERS. 1877. F ,T>'i Copyrighted^ xZ", by J. Thomas vSchakf and Wm. Hand Bkowni-;, HISTORY OF MARYLAND. PART I. MARYLAND THE PROVINCE. CHAPTER I. Three hundred years ago certain notions prevailed among the princes and people of Europe, which are not so generally believed now, but which had an im- portant influence on American history. One of these notions was that the more gold and silver any country possessed, the richer and more prosperous it was. Another was that whenever the subject of any Chris- tian sovereign first discovered any land inhabited by heathens, he had' the right to take possession of it in the name of his sovereign, whose property it then became. So when in the sixteenth century the other princes of Europe saw the immense quantities of gold and silver that every year poured into Spain from the mines of Mexico and Peru, one-fifth of all which was the king's own property, they too became eager to make discoveries and to plant colonies in the New World. Among the What was in former times believed to make a country rich and pros- perous? What was done when the subject of a Christian king dis- covered a new country? Whence did Spain draw great quantities of gold aad silver? What share of this belonged to the king? HISTORY OF MARYLAND. rest the English — who had perhaps the best right of any, according to the ideas of that day, from the fact that the mainland of North America had been discovered in 1497 by John and Sebastian Cabot, then in the service of King Henry VII. — made several unsuccessful attempts to found colonies on the continent. Besides the desire of extending their dominions and drawing wealth from the new country, there was another reason moving them to this. During th^ fourteenth and fifteenth centuries England had been engaged in constant and terrible wars at home and abroad, by which the population had been greatly thinned. But from the beginning of the .sixteenth century to the time of which we are writing, that is, for more than a hundred years, the English people had not been engaged in any very bloody wars, and the population had increased so greatly that a great part of the laboring people were suffering for want of sub- sistence; and it was thought a very desirable thing that such of them as were willing, should have the chance of bettering their condition in a new country. After several unsuccessful attempts had been made, as has been said, a company of noblemen and gentlemen, called " The London Company," who had received from King James I. a grant of the land Ij'ing between the thirty-fourth and forty-first parallels of north latitude — that is, the land in which are now the States of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and a large part of Pennsylvania — sent out a band of colonists, one of whose leaders Avas the celebrated Captain John Smith, who first explored the Chesapeake Bay ; and these in 1607 settled at Jamestown, and founded the colony of Virginia. What did the English attempt? What was their claim to the conti- nent of North America? What had England suffered from in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries? What was the state of affairs in the sixteenth century? What land did the London Company-receive? What did they do? When was Jamestown settled ? HISTORY OF MARYLAND. Land was granted to colonists in those days by a written instrument called a charter, drawn up in the name of the king, and setting forth the boundaries of the land they were to have, the rights and privileges they were to enjoy, and the conditions under which these were granted. These charters were of three kinds, according to the nature of the government the colony was to have. In some the colony was imme- diately dependent on the king, who appointed and removed at his pleasure the governor and principal officers, and whose approval ^was necessary to all laws- These were called Royal governments, and the colonies governed by them were the least independent of all. Another class of charters were those given to companies, who had the power of choosing their own officers, and, to a certain extent, of making their own laws and regulating their own affairs. These were called Charter governments : not a very clear distinction, as they all had charters. Then there were those in which the land was granted, as private property, to a single person or to several, who undertook to found the colony; and who were given the right to appoint officers, con- struct the government, and make or approve the laws. These were called Proprietary governments, and of all were the most independent of the crown. The Proprie- tary was almost in the position of a king: the public business was carried on in his name, the revenues of the colony were his, and at his death his eldest son or nearest heir succeeded him. All the colonies however had to pay to the crown of England one-fifth of the gold and silver found in them, and at certain times formally to present to the king or his representative some specified product of the country as a token that they owned him as their sovereign. What was a charter? What was a Royal government? A Charter government? A Proprietary government? Which kind of government was most independent ? What did the colonies have to pay to the crown ? HISTOKY OF MAi:yLA>r>. CHAPTER II. Sir George Calvert, the founder of Maryland, was an English gentleman who stood high in the favor of King James I. and of his son the Prince of Wales, afterwards Charles I., and held the high office of a Secre- tarj' of State. He, how- ever, about the year 1G25, embraced the Ro- man Catholic faith ; and, ^ as the duties of bis office were such as no coneci- ;..,'- :^: entious Catholic could ,^;.;v^ ., '■^- ^^ perform, he preferred /^ ■ .3"; f^: resigning his place to ''¥% '■ ■''''.?^^^ neglecting his duty, or ^^^■^ doing what he believed -/^^:^^^5r^^*i=<^l5f?r?^^ to be wrong. His SIR GEOKGE CALVERT. -changc of faith did not deprive him of the favor of the king, who raised him to the nobility under the title of Baron of Baltimore, At this time the ill-feelings between persons of dif- ferent religious beliefs were much stronger than they are now ; and the religious wars in Europe, the at- tempted invasion of England b}' Spain in Elizabeth's reign, the Gunpowder Plot, a scheme of some desperate men to kill King James and the Parliament, and other causes, had made the feelings of English Protestants toward the Roman Catholics very bitter indeed ; though on many occasions the English Catholics had shown Who wae Sir Georg--:' Calvert? What office did he hold? Why did he g-jve up his office? What rank was conferred on him? What wae the Btate of feeling at this time between those of different religions ? HISTORY OF MARYLAND. themselves to be as good citizens and as faithful subjects as the Protestants. The position therefore of the English Catholics, who were generally looked upon with hatred and suspicion, was very unpleasant; and Lord Baltimore thought it would be a desirable thing to remove, with others of his own faith, to homes in the ]S'ew World, where they would be free from molestation. Before his change of fiiith, Calvert had taken an interest in the plans of colonisation then so much dis- cussed ; and in 1623 he had obtained from the king a grant of a tract of land in Newfoundland, to which he sent out some colonists, giving the settlement the name of Avalon. In 1628 he removed there himself, taking his wife and several of his children with him. But the severit}' of the climate, and especially the extreme cold and length of the winter, discouraged the colonists, many of whom, including Calvert himself, fell sick ; and he saw that he would have either to give up his purpose altogether, or seek a more suitable place for his colony. So he took ship with his family and about forty colonists, and sailed for Virginia, where he arrived in October 1629. The governor and council of Virginia, on his arrival, asked him the purpose of his visit, and being told that he wished to settle in that colony, required him to take what were called the oaths of " allegiance " and " supremacy "; that is, he was called on to swear that he was a faithful subject of the king of England, and that he believed the king to be the rightful head of the Church in England. The latter oath, as an honest Eoman Catholic, he could not take ; so the authorities of Virginia refused to allow him to settle among them. Lord Baltimore now cast his eyes on the beautiful What did Lord Baltimore think? Give some account of the founding of Avalon. Why was it abandoned? How was Lord Baltimore received in Virginia? 8 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. and fertile unsettled country on the shores of the Chesa- peake Bay, and determined to apply to King Charles I. (who had succeeded his father, .Tames I,, in 1G25) for a grant of this territory. Although this land had been included in the original grant to the London Company, the king was perfectly free to give it to whom he pleased, as that company had been deprived of their charter about five years before, and the king had taken possession of the land again. So leaving his wife and children in Virginia, Baltimore returned to England, and finding the king favorably disposed to his wishes, sent for his family to join him ; but unfortunately the ship on which they sailed was lost, and the}^ all perished. Baltimore, though deeply' afiiicted by this terrible addition to his misfortunes, did not abandon his plan. He first applied for a tract of land south of the James river ; but this being opposed b}- the Virginians, he asked for and obtained from the king a grant of land lying north of the Potomac and on both sides of the Chesapeake Bay. He at first thought of calling his pi'ovince Crcscentia, but at the king's request he gave it the name of Maryland (in Latin Terra Mariae) in honor of the queen Henrietta Maria. But on April 15, 1632, before his charter was signed, he died, leaving his titles and estates to his eldest son, Cecilius Calvert, who became the second Lord Baltimore; and in his name the charter was made out, bearing date the 20th of June, 1682. What (lid he next think of doing? Who was king- of England at this timeV Why had the king now a right to give away the land he had given to the London Company? What did Baltimore do? What hap- pened to his wife and children? Where did Baltimore first think of settling? What land did he finally get? After whom was Maryland named? When did the first Lord Baltimore die? Who succeeded him? When was the charter of Maryland made out? HISTORY OF MARYLAND. CHAPTER III. The territory granted by this charter to Cecilius Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore, under the name of the province of Maryland, was bounded on the east by the Atlantic ocean and Delaware Bay and River; on the north by the fortieth parallel of north latitude ; on the west by a line drawn from the northern boundary southward to the most western source of the Potomac river, and thence down the further bank of that river to the Chesapeake Bay ; and on the south by a line running from this last point to Watkins Point on the eastern shore of the Bay, and thence east to the ocean. 40°N. LAT. The province so bounded contained very much more land than the present State of Maryland. It included the whole State of Delaware, a wide strip o the Give the original boundaries of Maryland, portions of this territory What States no 10 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. southern part of Pennsylvania, and a tract that now belongs to Virginia. All this land was given to Lord Baltimore as bis own property, be having to pay nothing to the king except the fifth part of all gold and silver that might be found in it. The Proprietary, as he was called, bad the right to appoint all the officers of the government ; to make all the laws, with the consent of the freemen (all who were not servants or hired laborers) of the province, and in certain cases without consulting them ; and to these laws the king's assent was not necessary, He could also build forts, raise armies, make war or peace, erect towns and cities, hold courts of justice, and levy taxes ; and both king and Parliament were pro- hibited from taxing the people or their goods, laying duties on their commerce, or in any way interfering with their liberties. Thus he was almost in the position of an independent king; the only marks of his depen- dence being the payment of the fifth of gold and silvei-, and his obligation to deliver to the king or his repre- sentative, once a year, at the palace of Windsor, two Indian arrows of Maryland make, as a sign that he acknowledged the king of England as his sovereign. Gifts of land accompanied with almost royal powers, from kings to their great nobles, were not uncommon in the middle ages, though less frequent in later times. They were called palatinates^ and the holder of one a count palatine. Lord Baltimore therefore became a count palatine in his province, and this fact is signified in the coat-of-arms of Maryland. The shield, with its crosses and checkered bars, represents the families from whom Lord Baltimore was descended. The motto, What rights had the Proprietary? What else could he do? Had Parliament any power to tax the people or make laws for them? What had IJaltimore to pay to the kinK? What were such K'fts of land called y What ia tho raeaQing of the shield in the coat-of-arms of Maryland? HISTORY OF MARYLAND. 11 / Fatti Maschii Parole i^emme—" Deeds are masculine, words feminine" — was that of the Calverts; the helmet with the coronet indicates his rank of baron ; the farmer and fisherman at its sides (called " supporters") were added by him as representing the great in- dustries of the province.* But between the shield and the helmet is seen a cap surrounded by a coro- net. This is called a "palatine's cap," and de- /j notes his rank as palatine, ^ >-; ^ and therefore the peculiar ' relation which Maryland bore to the British crown. Not one of the other colo- nies was so independent of the mother-country; indeed no other grant so liberal was ever made by an English sovereign ; and this fact became of great importance in after j^eai-s. So soon as he received his charter, Lord Baltimore began his preparations for sending out a colony. At his own expense he fitted out two vessels, the Ark and the Dove, on which about two hundred colonists em- barked from the port of Cowes in the Isle of Wight, on the 22d of Novem.ber, 1633. He had intended to accom- pany them himself, but thought it better to send out with them his brother Leonard Calvert as governor, while he remained in England to look after the interests of his colony there. The colonists consisted of " gentle- ♦ On some of the seals the motto is, Crescite et MuUiplicamini—" Increase and Multiply." What of the crowned helmet ? What of the " supporters " ? What is the meaning of the " palatine's cap"? Which, of all the colonies, was most independent of England? When did Baltimore s first colony set sail? In what vessels ? Who went out as governor? ■ ■ . j j^A-N A^ COAT-OF-ABMS OF MARYLAND. 12 HISTOKY OF MAElTLiAND. men adrentarers," as they were called, and their ser- vants and hired laborers. Both Protestants and Roman Catholics were among them ; in what proportion we do not know ; ner does it appear that any distinction was made between them. It seems probable that the leading men, about twenty in number, were Catholics, while the greater part of the rest were Protestants. They were accompanied by two Catholic priests, Fathers Andrew "White and John Altham. After a long and stormy yoyage in which they narrowly escaped shipwreck, the Ark and Dove reached Point Comfort on February 27th, 1634, and thence sailed up the Chesapeake Bay to the Potomac river. The colonists were charmed with the beauty of this new land that was to be their home, the wide and stately river, and the noble forests that clothed its banks. Sailing up the Potomac, they disembarked on an island which they called St. Clement's (now Blackiston's island) ; and here on March 25th they set up a cross as the emblem of the Christian faith, and celebrated divine worship according to the rite of the Catholic church. On their upward passage they had seen great num- bers of the Indians in arms, and signal-fires burning at night throughout the country; so G-overnor Calvert thought it prudent first of all to establish, if possible, friendly relations with these savages. He had learned that many of the tribes were subject to a great chief or "emperor'" who lived at Piscatawa^' ; so he took a party and sailed up the Potomac to pay this emperor a visit. Landing on the south side of the river, the governor first proceeded to an Indian town governed by a chief named Archihu, uncle and guardian to the king, who was a boy. Archihu received the strangers When did they reach Point ' ■ n tlie new laad : Wbere did 1 ' .ud they seen ae they sailed up? V iiu; di-. Ci' 1'. vriiyr (Juix t-ri du ',■ HISTORY OF MARYLAND. 13 in a very friendly manner; and when they had ex- plained to him through an interpreter that they came to his country to dwell in peace, and to teach him and his people the worship of the true God and the arts of civilised life, he made them welcome, sa3'ing, " We will eat at the same table : my young men shall hunt for you, and we will have all things in common." From this point they sailed to Piscataway, where the Indians were much alarmed at the appearance of the strangers in their ships, and about five hundred armed BUYING LAND OF INDIANS. with bows stationed themselves as a guard around their emperor, who had come down to the shore. But the English making signs of peace and friendship, the em- peror laid aside all fear and went on board one of the How was he received by Archihu? What did they see at Piscataway ? 14 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. vessels, where be was so much pleased with his friendly- reception that he gave the colonists permission to settle wherever they chose. Governor Calvert thought that the island on which they had landed was neither con- venient nor safe enough for a settlement, so the colo- nists proceeded further up the Bay to a river which they named St, George's river (now St. Mary's), and landing on its western bank, selected a suitable place for a town, which the}' laid off and named St. Mary's. The land here belonged to a chief named Yaocomico, from whom they bought a large tract, giving in ex- change articles of the greatest value to the Indians, such as axes, hatchets, hoes, and English cloth ; and they took possession of the soil with the usual ceremo- nies on March 27, 163K These Indians of Southern Murj-land were a gentler and less warlike race than the fierce Susquehannocks who lived further to the north, and distressed them cruelly by continual inroads. At this ver}' time Yaocomico's people had been harassed by them to such a degree that they had made up their minds to abandon their village and lands and seek homes elsewhere. This was a fortunate thing for the colonists, who were at once provided with habitations in the cabins of the Indians, which they willingly gave up to them with their culti- vated lands, a part only remaining to tend the growing crops. The utmost kindness prevailed between the settlers and these natives; the young men of the tribe taught the English the cultivation of corn and the arts of hunting and snaring game, while many of the Indian women and children became willing servants in the settlei-s' families. In all things they showed them- selves friendl}- and confiding, and to the honor of the How did the "emperor" recei%'e them? Where did Calvert deter- mine to settle? How did he get land from the Indians? When was St. Mary's founded ? Why were these Indians willing to give up their town ? HISTORY OF MARYLAND. 15 colonists this trust was never betrayed. In all their dealings with them the English acted justly, giving them in exchange for what they bought, tools and other useful articles, the very use of which raised the Indian higher in civilisation ; teaching them various arts, and the worship) of the true God. This justice and kindness won the gratitude and affection of the Indians; and the Englishman benighted in the forest might sleep as safely in the wigwam of the savage as under his own roof CHAPTER IV. Though at peace with the Indians, the infant colony had enemies among men of their own race and subjects of the same sovereign. The Virginians had from the first been bitterly opposed to the grant to Lord Balti- more, and were ready to use any means to have it annulled. Now in the charter the land granted was spoken of as " hitherto uncultivated," and such it really was in any ordinary sense of the words. But it so happened that a short time before the issue of the ehai'ter a Virginian named William Claiborne, who had a license to trade with the Indians, had established a trading post on Kent Island. Lord Baltimore, on taking possession of his grant, notified Claiborne that he was now subject to the government of Maryland ; and Claiborne asked the council of Virginia how he should act in the matter. The council replied that How were they treated by the settlers? How did the Virginians feel toward the Marylanders? Who was William Claiborne? What did he do? 16 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. they saw no roason why they should give up their right to the isliuid. CUiiborne therefore refused to submit, and orders- were given to arrest him, but he escaped. In revenge he went to the Indians, and hoping to rouse them to mui'der the Marylanders, told them that the new colo- nists were not English as they pretended to be, but Spaniards, the enemies of the English. The settlers at St. Mary's noticed a sudden change in the behavior of the natives, who all quitted the settlement; and fearing an attack they stopped work on their town and built a block house, or log fort, for their protection. After a while they learned from the Indians what Claiborne had told them, and succeeded in convincing them of the falsehood of the charge ; after which the Indians came back and were as friendly as before, and the colonists went on building their houses. Early in the next year, 1635, Claiborne fitted out a small vessel with a crew of fourteen men under the command of Lieutenant Warren, to attack the colo- nists, and Governor Calvert sent out two vessels, com- manded by Captain Thomas Cornwallis, to meet them. They met in the Pocomoke river, and the first naval engagement in Mar^dand watci's followed, in which the colonists lost one man, and Claiborne's men two, besides their commander, on which they surrendered, and were carried as prisoners to St. Mary's. Claiborne now fled to Virginia. Governor Calvert sent to Governor Harvey to ask that he should be given up for trial; but Harvey, not venturing openly to give him shelter, yet unwilling to oft'end the public feeling in Virginia, sent him to England to be tried. In the mean time a system of government had been What did he make the Indians believe? Did he succeed in his plan? What did Claiborne do next year? What was the result of his attempt? HISTORY OF MARYLAND. 17 established in the colony. Lord Baltimore had given his brothei', Governor Calvert, a commission author- ising him to call assemblies for the purpose of making- laws, which he might approve or not, as he judged best •, also to judge causes, and make grants of land. In executing his duties the governor was assisted by a council, with whom he could issue orders which had the force of law. In this year, 1635, it appears that the first assembly was called, consisting of all the free- men (that is, men not servants nor hired laborers) in the colony, who passed several laws which the Proprie- tary refused to confirm, not because they were bad, but because the charter gave him the right to propose all the laws for the province, while the people had the right to say whether they would accept them or not. Lord Baltimore, seeing that a code of laws was necessary for the province, which was not under the control of the British Parliament, went to work to make such a code himself, and sent it out about three yeai's later. But the colonists, who considered that a right to share in the making of the laws which were to govern him was part of the birthright of every Eng- lishman, refused to accept his code. Trouble might have followed but for the wisdom and generosity of the Proprietary, who always thought more of the welfare of his colony than of his own interest or power, and who jdelded the point, consenting that the assembly should propose the laws, but reserving the right to the Governor, in his name, to accept or reject them as he saw fit. All this time, and for a long time after, Lord Balti- more was sending out colonists and supplies to Mar}^- land, at very great expense to himself. Tracts of land, What powers had the g-overnor? How was the first Assembly com- posed? What was done with Lord Baltimore's laws? What did Lord Baltimore grant to the Assembly? y 18 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. running from one hundred to throe thousand acroh*, were granted to those who would take out their families and other settlers. Those who preferred not to venture too far into the wilderness, received lots in St. Mary's, of five and ten acres each. The rents paid the Proprietary for these lands were at the rate of twenty shillings for every thousand acres. Those who were too poor to pay for their passage out. bound themselves by indentures to the captain of the ship to redeem their passage money by four years of seiwice (afterwards reduced to three) in the province. On his arrival the captain sold the term of service of these " redemptioners," as they were called (because they redeemed, or paid for their passage by their work) to the highest bidders among the planters. When the redemptionor's term of service had expired, he received irom his employer fifty acres of land, a yeai''s provision of corn, three suits of clothes, and the necessary farming tools, and became a freeman of the province. The assembly, as we have seen, was at first composed, of all the freemen of the colony. But as the colony grew, it became inconvenient for them all to attend at St. Mary's, and several would give to some one of their neighbors, "proxies," as they were called; that is, written authority to vote in their names. Afterwards the plan was adopted of sending representatives, or dele- gates, elected by the people. The assembly thus formed was called together and presided over by the governor, assisted and advised by his council. After about fifteen years the form of the assembl}^ was changed so as to make it more nearly resemble the English Parliament. The governor and council sat in a separate chamber, forming an Upper House ; and the How was land Riven to the settlers? Who were the "redemption- era"? What change gradually took place in the Assembly? HISTORY OF MARYLAND. 19 Delegates, presided over by a Speaker, formed the Lower House. From this grew our present State gov- ernment, of Governor, Senate, and House of Delegates ; though now all are elected by the people. ' Claiborne, who had been sent to England to be tried, and who was supported by the many and powerful enemies of the colony of Maryland, was now giving much trouble. He not only petitioned the king to restore him his possessions, but urged that Lord Balti- more's charter was void, inasmuch as it described the land granted, as "hitherto uncultivated," which he said was not the case, as at the time it was signed, he had a settlement on Kent island. It is not easy to see how a single trading-post for buying furs from the Indians could make the land cultivated ; and even if it did, the king had the right to grant the land at his pleasure, whether cultivated or not. So the Privy Council (who had control over matters connected with the colonies) seemed to think, for they declared that the charter was valid ; and told Claiborne, if he thought he had suffered any injury, to seek his remedy in the courts of law. Smith, an officer of Claiborne, who had been capture^ in the fight in Pocomoke river, was tried at St. Mary's, and it being proved that the first fire came from his vessel, was found guilty of murder, and sentenced to death. The governor did not forget his promise to the Indians to teach them the worship of the true God. Missionaries came out from England, who were sent to the various surrounding tribes, and numbers of the savages embraced Christianity. The king of Patuxent gave them a plantation, and many of his people were What composed the government. ? [Ans. The Proprietary in England, and the Governor, Council, and Lower House in Maryland ] What did Claiborne urge on the king? On what ground? Why was this un- reasonable? What did the Council decide? 20 HISTORY OF MARYLATsD. baptised. But a much more important convert was made in the person of Clitomachen, the Tayac, or em- peror, of Piscataway, who had dominion over a number of chiefs. During a visit paid him by Father White, the Tayac was taken very dangerously sick, and after forty of his " medicine-men " had tried in vain to cure him, he sought lielp from his guest, who treated him so skilfully that he soon recovered. Fi'om this time he looked upon Father White as his best friend ; he readily listened to his instructions, and willingly embraced the Christian faith. As he was the most powei*ful chief in all that region, it was thought proper to make the cere- mony of his baptism a public celebration. On the 5th of July 1640, in the presence of the governor and leading men of the colony, the Tayac Avas solemnly baptised, with his Avife, children, and chief councillors; and in the afternoon of the same day he and his queen were married according to the Christian rite ; all these ceremonies taking place in a little chapel built of bark in the forest, which he had had made for the purpose. The Taj'ac after this adopted the dress and learned the language of the English ; and the constant friend- ship of this important chief added greatly to the secu- rity of the colonists. The baptism and marriage of this powerful and gentle prince of the forest, is perhaps the most striking incident in early Maryland history. >y As the colony extended to the north, the fierce Indians to the north and north-east, the Susque- hannocks and Nanticokos, who were always the enemies of the peaceful southern tribes, such as the Patuxents and Piscataways, gave the settlers some trouble ; but for a long time there was nothing like the Indian wars How did the king of Patuxent receive the missionaries'? Give an account of tlie conversion of the Tayac. Give an account of his bap- tism and marriage. How were the Susquchannocks disposed toward the colony? HISTORY OF MARYLAND. 21 from which the other colonies suffered. This was, no doubt, partly owing to the influence of Christianity on the tribes with which they were immediately sur- rounded, and partly due to the prudence, intjjlligence, and energy of Governor Calvert, who was quick to punish any breach of the peace, but not revengeful ; and who would have thought it horrible cruelty to massacre and burn an Indian village for the theft of a few cattle or hogs. So soon as proper reparation was made, he was ready to renew the peace; and thus the Indians learned to fear him, without having the savage passi ions of rao-e and revenae aroused in their breasts. 't3 CHAPTER V. ^ More serious dangers now began to threaten the colony. The struggle in England between Charles I. and the Parliament broke out into civil war in 1642, and of course the agitation spread to the colonies, where men's minds were divided as they were in the mother-country. The royalist party, or those who favored the king, was strong in Yii'ginia; while in New England most of the people were on the side of the Parliament. In Maryland there were partisans of both sides; though as Maryland was almost independent of Great Britain, her people did not suffer from the grievances of which the English complained. V The desire of Lord Baltimore seems to have been to remain neutral, as far as jDOSsible, and so preserve Mary- land from civil war. But he was known to be a friend How did Governor Calvert deal With the Indians? What great Struggle was going on in England at this time? How did it affect the colonies ? What was Lord Baltimore's desire ? 22 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. of the king, and this aroused ill-feelings among those of his colonists who favored tlie cause of Parliament ; while the fact of his being a Koman Catholic was used by bis enemies to turn the Protestants against him. They had certainly no cause of complaint, for from the veiy first, Baltimore's policy had been that of entire tolera- tion to every form of Christian belief; and those who in other colonies were persecuted for their religion, found a refuge in Mai-yland. i Claiborne's friends did what they could to increase the discontent; and CtOv- ernor Calvert, seeing the danger, but uncertain what was best to be done, Avent to England early in 1643, to consult his brother in person, and see the state of affairs there, leaving Giles Brent as deputy-governor in his absence. The Susquehannock Indians, who dwelt in the region about the mouth of the Susquehanna river, had never been as friendly to the settlers as the Indians of the south, with whom the Susquehannocks were almost always at war ; and the colonists in the region north of the Patuxent, never felt quite safe from them. About this time they began to harass the more distant settle- ments, and the settlers feared that they were preparing for a general attack, which would have been more for- midable from the fact that the Susquehannocks were armed with fire-arms, which it was said had been fur- nished them by the Dutch who were settled on the Delaware, and who also sent men to teach them their use. This fear added to the other agitations of the colonists, who sent several small expeditions against them and the Nantieokes, who were also giving trouble. Claiborne was not slow to take advantage of his opportunity. He had drawn into his schemes a man What did his enemies urge against him ? Why had the colony no cause of complaint? What did Governor Calvert do? What did the Susquehannocks do? HISTORY OF MARYLAND. 23 named Eichiird Ingle, who had been proclaimed a traitor, and seems to have been something of a pirate ; and this Ingle cruised off the shores of the Bay in an armed vessel, stirring up rebellion and ready for any mischief. Governor Brent succeeded in arresting Ingle ; but he soon after made his escape, and joined Claiborne again. When Calvert came back, in 1644, he found the province in a very disturbed state. Claiborne had again taken possession of Kent Island, and the enemies of the Proprietary had increased in numbers and boldness. The governor sent an expedition to recover the island, but it failed; and Claiborne and Ingle with their followers crossed ta the western shore, marched on St. Mary's, and took possession of the government. Gov- ernor Calvert fled to Virginia, whei'e he was kindly received b}^ Governor Berkeley. Of the two years during which Claiborne and his associates ruled in Maryland, we have but little account. They took possession of the public records, and after they were driven out, it was found that most of these had been either lost or destroyed, so that not only are we left very much in the dark about their doings, but our history of the first twelve years of the colony is very imperfect. It appears that they acted with great t^^ranny towards those who remained faithful to the Proprietary, seizing their property, and banishing them from the province. They even ai'rested the unoffending missionaries among the Indians ; broke up their sta- tions, and, it is said, sent the venerable Father White, with others, in chains to England, where he died in 1656. All these things they did in the name, and under pretence of the authority, of the English Parlia- Who was Richard Ingle, and what did he do? When Calvert came back, how did he find matters? What did Claiborne and Ingle do? How did Claiborne and his party behave when in power? What was done to the missionaries? 24 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. ment, whoso forces were now, under the leadershijD of Oliver Cromwell, getting very much the better in their contest with the king. In 1G46 the Parliament was complctel}' victorious, and the Icing a prisoner; so Lord Baltimore, who now thought that his province was hopelessly lost, wrote to his brother to try to save for him what he could of his private property out of the general wreck. Governor Calvert, however, saw grounds for hope that all was not lost 3'et. The Virginians had been from the first hostile to the colony, but they were devoted royalists, and they looked upon Calvert as a satferer in the king's cause. Claiborne and his asso- ciates, instead of handing their conquest over to Vir- ginia, were governing it themselves in the name of Parliament, which was even less to the Virginians' liking than Baltimore's government. So Calvert found that he could count on help from Virginia. Then the rule of Claiborne had been so different from the mild government of the Proprietary-, that many who had been drawn to his party were now anxious to restore the old state of things. There was no evidence that Claiborne had any authority from Parliament, or sought an}' thing but his own interests ; and it was very doubtful whether Pai'liament would support him. At all events, Calvert determined to make an attempt to I'ecover the province; so in the winter of 1616, he crossed the Potomac with a small force, mai'ched on St. Mary's, where Capt. Hill, who was in command, sur- rendered without resistance, and again took possession of the government. Kent Island submitted, after some resistance; after which. Lord Baltimore's authority being fully restored, the governor pardoned all the What happened in England in 1646? What did Lord Baltimore think? Why did Governor Calvert count on help from Virginia? Why were the Marylanders anxious to get rid of Claiborne ? HISTORY OF MARYLAND. 25 rebels except the three leaders, Claiborne, Ingle, and Durnford, who had fled, and peace was restored to the province. On June 9, 1647, the good and wise governor, Leonard Calvert, died, leaving the province in charge of Thomas Green until his successor should be appointed. From the first planting of the colony he had labored incessantly and unselfishly for its good ; had controlled Its affairs, both in peace and war, with wisdom, vigor, justice, and humanit}-, and his name should ever be cherished with honor in the memory of Marylanders. The enemies of Lord Baltimore, who wished to de- prive him of his charter, had laid great stress on the fact that he and his brother were Eoraan Catholics; and though the Protestants in the colony were in the majority, and both the Proprietary and the governor had carefully refrained from molesting any one for his religious belief, yet it was argued that a. Catholic gov- ernment was dangerous to Protestantism in Maryland. So Baltimore thought it prudent to choose a Protestant for governor; and in 1648 he appointed William Stone to that office. To make sure that the principle of toleration would still be maintained, the Proprietary drew u]) an oath to be taken by the governor and prin- cipal officers, binding them not to molest any believer in Christ on account of his religion. Li this oath ,ithe Catholics were expressly named, as at that time they had more reason to fear persecution than any others. On April 2, 1649, the Assembly met, and among other laws jmssed the famous Act of Toleration, which is one of the most memorable things in the history of Maryland. By this Act the liberal policy of the Pro- What did Calvert do? When did Governor Calvert die? What was Ins character? What did Lord Baltimore's enemies urgi against hi^? oh pTnffi'lJ'.%*'?P,°'°,* as Governor? What oath had thlGovernor and chief officers to take ? What Act was passed in 1649? '-^F^B 26 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. prietiuy was made the law of the land. It enacted that "no person or persons jjrofessing to believe in Jesus Christ shall from henceforth be in any ways ti'oubled, or molested, or discountenanced for, or in respect .of hia or her religion, nor in the free exercise thereof, nor any way compelled to the belief or exercise of any religion against his or her consent." It also forbade the calling of any one by any name of reproach on account of his belief, such as "heretic," "idolater," or "schismatic." Penalties were also affixed to "blas- phemy" and "sabbath-breaking," which indicate a Puritan influence in the Assembly, as the Puritans punished those off'ences with peculiar severity; but the toleration of all forms of Christian belief was due to the liberal and truly Christian spirit of Cecilius Calvert. We need but look at the laws, not only of the other colonies, but of almost all Christian countries, at that time, to ^ee how far this trul}' great man was in advance of his age; and this Act of 1649, which em- bodied Lord Baltimore's spirit in law, and made Mary- land the refuge for all the persecuted and those who suft'ered for conscience' sake, is the brightest page in the annals of Mai"3'iand, and one of the memorable events in the history of the world. What wa3 provided by the Act of Toleration? For whom was Mary- land a refuge?