the Cavalier members of the English Church found new homes in Virginia. George Calvert desired to find a home for his people, the Catholics. He had studied at Oxford University, and had been secretary to one of Queen Elizabeth's great statesmen. When James I became king, he made Calvert Baron of Baltimore. His successor, Charles I, was also Baltimore's friend, Charles I and when the latter asked the king for permission to gives found a colony of Catholics in America, Charles gave Baltimore him the whole of what is now Maryland. He also a part of Virginia declared that the colony should bear the name of Maryland in honor of his queen, Henrietta Maria. Lord Baltimore immediately began to gather a colony of emigrants. He welcomed Protestants as well as Catholics, for it was decided that in the colony of Maryland all Christians were to have the same rights. Very few nations in the world at that time permitted people to All perworship as they pleased. mitted to worship as they Lord Baltimore died before the expedition was ready, and according to the custom of England, Cecil Calvert, pleased his eldest son, fell heir to his estate and titles. The new Lord Baltimore sent more than three hundred persons in two ships, the Ark and the Dove. The long voyage had a happy ending; the immigrants reached the mouth of the Potomac in the springtime, when Maryland is at the height of its beauty (1634). Governor Calvert, in the Dove, sailed up the Potomac. He decided to locate his little village, which was to be The called St. Mary's, on land occupied by the Indians. He Indians paid for the land on which the wigwams and cornfields are stood, and the Indians invited the settlers to live with friendly founded them until their log cabins could be built. This good feeling lasted a long time, and these settlers escaped the savage wars from which many of the colonists suffered in the early days. Many Puritans came into Maryland and settled a town Annapolis afterwards named Annapolis. A number of interesting events took place there in the early days. Later the city became the home of the famous training school for the American navy, the United States Naval Academy. Once Baltimore's authority was taken away because there were some disputes with a Virginian high in authority. The Puritans joined him and overthrew Baltimore's rule. Later, however, his authority was restored and religious freedom reëstablished. Baltimore, named after the founder of the colony, and Baltimore afterward the most important town of Maryland, was settled in 1720. settled INDUSTRIES, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS OF FIRST SETTLERS The 41. How the Virginia Colonists Lived. After the first hardships the colony grew and prospered. Ships contin- Jamesued to bring settlers from England and other countries of town colony Europe. In a few years the little settlement at Jamesprospers town was surrounded on all sides by newly cleared farms. ་ To any one living to-day the old colony would seem strange indeed. There were practically no towns; almost every one lived on a large farm, called a plantation. On these plantations were great fields of tobacco, whose broad leaves in summer almost concealed the ground. Here and there a field of corn could be seen, but little else was grown. After a time the owners, or planters, built themselves great houses and kept an army of servants to grow the crops and do the work about the house. The planters did no work with their hands, but looked grow after their estates and enjoyed such pleasures as hunting rich and horseback riding. Many of these old places were the scenes of brilliant dinners and balls at which the fine ladies and gentlemen of the colony gathered. The planters Many poor people in England wanted to come to America, but had no money. To pay for the cost of bringing them over, these people were forced to work for the planters, often for six years or more. During this time they were almost slaves, but at the end of their service they became free. Then negroes were brought from Africa, Negro and soon most of the work was done by black slaves. slaves are Tobacco supported the colony and made the planters brought wealthy. It bought the food, clothes, and luxuries, and to Virpaid the taxes. It was even used as money, and people ginia reckoned the value of an article in pounds of tobacco, A famous robber and trader as we do in dollars, and cents. Most of the crop was shipped to England. The plantations lay along creeks or rivers up which boats could sail from the sea. When the tobacco was cured, it was packed in hogsheads, which were then rolled on board ship. 42. Blackbeard the Pirate. The streams on which the planters shipped their goods also served as hiding places for pirates. When these sea robbers had plundered a ship on the open sea, they would hide away in a bend of one of the wooded streams. Most famous of these lawless men was Blackbeard. For years his very name was a terror to sailors along the coast. He plundered scores of merchant ships before he was run down and captured. SUGGESTIONS INTENDED TO HELP THE PUPIL The Leading Facts. I. London merchants carried out Raleigh's idea by planting a colony in Virginia. 2. John Smith saved the colony by putting the settlers to work, by trading with the Indians, and by winning the friendship of Pocahontas. 3. Lord Baltimore, a Catholic, got permission to plant a colony in Virginia; he named it Maryland, and the first settlement, St. Mary's. 4. Protestants as well as Catholics were welcomed in the new colony. 5. Negroes were brought to Virginia as slaves. Study Questions. I. How long did it take Captain Newport to reach Virginia? 2. How long does it take a ship to cross the Atlantic now? 3. Why were the settlers afraid of the Indians and Spaniards? 4. Why did the Virginia settlers hunt for gold instead of raising something to eat? 5. What did Smith learn about the Indians? 6. Show how Pocahontas was a friend of the colony. 7. Tell the story of George Calvert, Lord Baltimore. 8. How was the colony different from that at Jamestown? 9. Picture the settlers at St. Mary's. 10. What town did the Puritans establish? II. When was the richest and most important town in Maryland settled, and after whom was it named? 12. Why were slaves brought to Virginia? 13. Tell the story of Blackbeard. Suggested Readings. SMITH: McMurry, Pioneers on Land and Sea, 68-102; Hart, Source Book, 33-37; Higginson, American Explorers, 231-246. BALTIMORE: Pratt, Early Colonies, 132-137; Smith and Dutton, The Colonies, 39-50; Sparks, American Biography, 5–229. PILGRIMS AND PURITANS IN NEW ENGLAND 43. The Pilgrims. Persecuted for their religion in England, the Pilgrims first went to Holland. There they wandered from place to place, finally settling in the city of Leiden. But they saw that they could not keep their own language and customs among the Dutch, so they decided to go to America and found a colony of their own. John Carver, William Bradford, William Brewster, and Edward Winslow were the leaders of the little band that had chosen to go on the long and dangerous journey. The parting was sad. Eyes were wet with They weeping and voices were choked with sorrow as the last the words were spoken before going on board the Speedwell. "SpeedEven the Dutch bystanders were moved to tears. Listen well” to the words of Bradford: "So they left that goodly and pleasant city which had been their resting place nearly The twelve years; but they knew they were Pilgrims, and dearest looked not much on those things, but lifted up their country eyes to the heavens, their dearest country, and quieted their spirits." The Speedwell carried them across to England, where they found the Mayflower. board Pilgrims' |