Charles County and Southern Maryland

In 1632 George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, secured a promise of land in the New World from King Charles I to be situated on both sides of the Chesapeake Bay north of Virginia to the 40th parallel. Lord Baltimore, however died before the charter could be signed and his son, Cecilius Calvert, the Second Lord Baltimore was granted the Charter.

Maryland was to be a haven to colonize the persecuted Catholics and other religions of England. The first emigrants left England in 1634 comprising twenty Catholics and two hundred Protestants who sailed on the Ark and Dove.  They purchased land from the Indians and settled St Mary's.

The colony experienced  great growth due partly to the passage of the Act Concerning Religion which outlawed any intolerance of any person professing a belief in Christ. Among those attracted by this religious freedom in Maryland was a group of Puritans led by Claiborne who settled in Anne Arundel County. There was continuous conflict between the constituents of Claiborne and Lord Baltimore until 1677 when Claiborne died.

During the first century of settlement colonization was confined to the rivers, streams and bays. Only later did settlers venture west.
The city of Baltimore was founded in 1729 and became a major port and commercial center. The Appalachian and western areas of Maryland were not settled until about 1740 when English, Scottish and Scots-Irish emigrated from St Mary's, Charles and Prince George's counties. Shortly, thereafter, Germans from Pennsylvania began settling the area as well.

By 1748 Frederick County was created from Prince George's County. Many Acadian settlers from Nova Scotia driven out by the English came to Baltimore about 1755. Race riots in Santo Domingo brought about a thousand more settlers to Baltimore in 1793. Canal diggers and other settlers from Ireland came to Baltimore in 1817 and again in 1847. Then there were the Germans fleeing the continual warfare in the Rhineland areas of Europe after 1848.

In 1778 Maryland became the seventh state in the new United States. During the Civil War 46,000 men fought for the Union and 5,000 for the Confederacy. Many of the Confederates hailed from Southern Maryland including Charles County.

Charles County was organized as an original county in 1658. Prince Georges County was created in 1695 from Charles and Calvert Counties (both of which were original counties) and Frederick was created in 1748 from Prince Georges.