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Maryland Colony

By Martin Kelly, About.com

Year Maryland Colony Was Founded:
1634; Was given the charter for founding in 1632
Maryland Colony Founded By: Lord Baltimore (Cecil Calvert)
Motivation for Founding the Maryland Colony: Lord Baltimore was motivated both by the desire for profit and the desire to create a refuge for Roman Catholics who were still being persecuted in Protestant England.
Significant Events:
  • Maryland was a proprietorship which means that the proprietor had executive authority.
  • Tobacco was very profitable for the colony.
  • Religious freedom for different sects of Christianity was widespread, especially after the passage of the Act of Toleration in 1649 which allowed for toleration to all Christians. Maryland eventually became known as a 'haven for Catholics'.
Important People:
Lord Baltimore
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