Lord Baltimore
By Louis plagianos
Lord Baltimore's Quest for Roman Catholic Religious Freedom
George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, was a Roman Catholic who wanted the Roman Catholics to be free of religious persecution in England. He asked King James I for land in the New World. King James I deiced to give permission to George to claim land in Newfoundland. George later found out that the Newfoundland colony wasn't the ideal place for the Roman Catholics. The land isn't fit for the crops they were growing and was more reliant on fishing for food, which, like I stated, was not ideal for him and the Roman Catholics. He decided to write to King James I for land in Virginia, and, without waiting, went to claim land there.
George Calvert Travels through America
In dislike of the Newfoundland colony, George Calvert wanted to search for better land to colonize on, so he traveled, by boat, to Jamestown, Virginia. Although he wasn't really fond of there, he wanted land like the Jamestown colony, so he traveled upward and and through the Potomac River. While sailing through the river, he saw Native American village that had cultivated farm land that looked successful. He wanted the land so much that he traveled back to England to personally tell King James I to cancel his request for land in Virginia and give him permission to claim this wonderful land.
Request For land in Present-Day Maryland
As soon as George Calvert arrived at England, he went to go ask King James I for the land above the Potomac River, but when he got there King James I was no longer King instead it was James's son, King Charles I. He asked the new king if he could change his request from land in Virginia to the land north of Virginia ( to be specific, the land between the Potomac river and Pennsylvania). The King granted him the land.
George Calvert was getting ready to discover new land, but before he could, he died.
2nd Lord Baltimore Arranges
Cecillius Calvert (commonly known as Cecil), the second Lord Baltimore, was the successor of his dad. Like his dad, he also wanted the religious freedom of Roman Catholics, so he agreed on finishing the job for his dad. Cecil sent his younger brother and 300 Roman Catholics on two ships, Ark (not the same as Noah's) and Dove, to settle the chartered land.
Below there is more information on Cecil
Leonard Calvert, the Governor of Marie's Land
Leonard Calvert was the second son of George Calvert who sailed to to America. When he got to America he claimed the chartered land that was given to him and he named the land Marie's Land after Queen Marie of England. He and the men he brought there built their towns and cultivated the land. The citizens of the town the named Baltimore, after Leonard's brother and father, appointed Leonard the governor of the land where he served for many long years.
Later the named was changed to Maryland and Maryland joined the U.S.
More Info of the Calvert Family
George Clavert
Secretary of State under the rule of King James I.
Roman catholic who sought out religious freedom for the Roman Catholics.
Got 2 charters for land. One from King James I for land in Newfoundland and one from King Charles I for land in present day Maryland.
Died before he could claim land in Marylnd.
Cecillius Calvert
2nd Lord Baltimore who sent his younger brother, Leonard, to claim present day Maryland
Leonard Calvert
Traveled to the New World with other Roman Catholics on the Ark and Dove.
Called the land that founded Marie's Land (later called Maryland) after queen Marie of England.