The Maryland Colony

The Maryland Colony was one of the original 13 colonies located on the Atlantic coast of North America. The original 13 colonies were divided into three geographic areas consisting of the New England, Middle and Southern colonies. The Maryland Colony was classified as one of the Southern Colonies.

The Province of Maryland was an English colony in North America that existed from 1633 until 1776, when it joined the other 12 of the 13 colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S. state of Maryland.

Founding of the Maryland Colony

The Naming of the Maryland Colony

Fact 1 History Year Founded: 1633 by Lord Baltimore and others as a refuge for English Catholics, at Baltimore

Fact 2 Cities Major Towns / Cities: Baltimore, Annapolis

Fact 3 Industries Major Industries: Manufacturing (shipbuilding, iron works), Agriculture (corn, wheat, rice, indigo). The Maryland Legislature passed an “Act for the Encouragement of an Iron Manufacture within this Province” in 1719

Fact 4 Geography of Maryland: Coastal plains, peidmont plateau, and the Blue Ridge, separated by the Chesapeake Bay

Fact 5 Climate: The Southern colonies were the warmest of the three regions, winters not difficult to survive, but the hot and humid summers gave rise to the spread of disease. The warm climate made it possible to grow crops throughout the year and was ideally suited for plantations

Fact 6 Climate: The warm climate made it possible to grow crops throughout the year and was ideally suited for plantations

Fact 7 Religion: Not dominated by a specific religion which gave way to religious freedom for Baptists, Catholics, Anglicans and others. Refer to Religion in the Colonies

Fact 8 Raw Materials Natural Resources: Fish, forests (timber) and good agricultural land. Farming and Plantations were important. Exported agricultural products to other colonies

Fact 9 Economics and Trade: Concentrated on agriculture and developed the plantations exporting tobacco, cotton, corn, vegetables, grain, fruit and livestock

Fact 10 Government: By 1775 Maryland was governed as a Proprietary Colony.

Fact 11 Geography: Maryland is about 250 miles long and 90 miles wide with approximately 9,837 square miles of land area

Fact 12 Religion: Religious toleration, which already existed by charter, was further established by a law of the Maryland Assembly, of April 2, 1649

Fact 13 Original Name: The original name of the colony was the Province of Maryland (later Maryland)

Fact 14 Reason for Founding: Religious freedom, especially for Catholics

Fact 15 Economy: The Southern Colonies had the largest slave population who worked on the plantations. Plantations grew cotton, tobacco, rice, sugar, indigo (a purple dye), and other crops

Fact 16 Economy: Some of the plantations were massive and consisted of the main house, slave quarters, a dairy, blacksmith's shop, laundry, smokehouse and barns which made the plantations to large degree, self-sufficient

Fact 17 Economy: Crops were traded for items that could not be produced on the plantations including shoes, lace, thread, farm tools and dishes

Fact 18 History: Maryland was originally founded as a haven for those who were Catholic. However, the land prices were so cheap that Protestants also flocked to Maryland which caused much division with the colonists

Fact 19 History: 1763 - Legal battles were settled by a survey, which resulted in the Mason-Dixon line, surveyed by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, establishing Maryland's northern boundary