QUESTIONS FOR ORIGINAL THOUGHT AND RESEARCH

1. Considering the object of the expedition, do you think the first band of colonists was well composed? Find out what you can about the settlement of Virginia, and comparing this with what you know about Maryland, see if you can find reasons for the quicker success of the latter.

2. Locate accurately on the map the first landing-place of the colonists, and the situation of St. Mary's. Where is the Thames ?

3. Imagine yourself a passenger on the Ark; how do you feel as the vessel leaves England, during the voyage, and on your arrival? If you were

to sail up the Potomac now, should you behold the same scene that greeted the eyes of the first settlers ? What changes have taken place and why?

4. Would the Indians have preferred to receive money for their land instead of the articles that Governor Calvert gave them? Give reasons for your answer. Name some things that you think the English likely to have learned from the Indians; the Indians from the English. Find out what you can about the relations between the Indians and the English in other parts of America, and compare with Maryland.

5. Name three differences between the first legislative assembly of Maryland and one of the present day. Was it a good provision of the charter that gave Lord Baltimore the right to originate laws? Were the people justified in taking the stand which they did?

6. Were the Conditions of Plantation liberal, and likely to attract settlers? Explain as fully as you can the causes that favored the growth of population. Was tobacco a convenient money? Why was it much less inconvenient than such a currency would be now? 7. Write an account of “Life in Early Maryland."

REFERENCES

Browne's Maryland, pp. 20–26, 36–37, 41-47, 48–50, and 51-53. Browne's Calverts, pp. 39-62 and 83-87. Thomas' Chronicles of Colonial Maryland, pp. 9-28. Hall's The Lords Baltimore, pp. 28–42, 49-51. Fiske's Old Virginia and Her Neighbors, Vol. I., pp. 268–275. Mereness' Maryland as a Proprietary Province - see index for topics desired.

CHAPTER III

"LEAH AND RACHEL" -- WHEREIN TWO SISTER

COLONIES DISAGREE

18. A Jealous Sister; the Character and Plans of William Claiborne. It has already been said that the charter of Lord Baltimore met with fierce opposition (see Sec. 10). The enmity of the members of the old Virginia Company was noticed, but we have now to observe that a protest was forthcoming from the Virginia colony as well, and to go back a little to notice some very interesting and important events connected with the bad feeling that for a time prevailed between "Leah and her younger sister Rachel."1 Virginia was jealous of Maryland chiefly for three reasons. First, Maryland had once been a part of the territory of Virginia; secondly, Maryland was ruled by Catholics, while Virginia was Protestant and strongly attached to the Established Church of England; thirdly, the commercial rights and privileges of Maryland were much greater than those of Virginia. Thus for a time Maryland's sister colony and nearest neighbor unfortunately became her worst enemy.

In the protest above mentioned, the Virginians were represented by William Claiborne, their secretary of state. This man, not unjustly called the evil genius of Maryland, was the prime mover of mischief from first to last, and devoted all the

1 In 1656 a book was published in London by Hammond, called Leah and Rachel; or The Two Fruitful Sisters, Virginia and Maryland. John Fiske uses the phrase also, as a chapter title in Old Virginia and Her Neighbors.

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energies of his unusually determined and persevering nature to the task of ruining the Maryland colony. For twenty years his influence seriously affected Maryland history, and more than once nearly brought about the colony's destruction.

Claiborne's opportunity came in the following manner. Coming over to Virginia in 1621 as surveyor, his force of character brought him rapidly into notice, and at the time of the settlement on the St. Mary's he was secretary of state for Virginia and a member of the governor's council. He began to engage

to some extent in the fur trade with the Indians. In this he was so successful as to induce a firm of London merchants to employ him as a special agent or partner in the business of trading with the Indians. Claiborne then established a post on Kent Island, in the Chesapeake bay, for this purpose, and obtained licenses to trade; but he did not secure any grant of land. A few dwellings were erected, which were paid for by the London merchants, Cloberry and Company. To complete the claim of Virginia, it should be noted also that Palmer's Island had been occupied by traders, and trading expeditions had been conducted by Henry Fleet, John Pory, and possibly other Virginians. The Maryland charter spoke of the country as "hitherto uncultivated"; but this was descriptive merely, and not a condition of the grant, and if it had been, the traders had not settled or cultivated the country.

The instructions of the proprietary regarding Claiborne were very generous. Acting according to these instructions, Governor Calvert notified Claiborne that his post was within the limits of Maryland. He was given to understand that he would be welcome to the land he had occupied, but that he must acknowledge the authority of Lord Baltimore, and hold the land from him and not from Virginia. Claiborne, on receiving this notice, asked the Virginia council what he should do. Their answer

was, that they wondered at his asking such a question; could there be any more reason for giving up Kent Island than any other part of Virginia? Thus Claiborne made his own cause and that of Virginia one, and feeling sure of support now, he returned an answer to Governor Calvert in which he utterly refused to acknowledge the authority of Maryland and Lord Baltimore.

19. The Dispute Leads to Bloodshed. The proprietary's instructions provided that if Claiborne should refuse to acknowledge the jurisdiction of Maryland, he was to be undisturbed for a year. But trouble soon arose. The Indians, hitherto so friendly and sociable, became cold and reserved, — a change which alarmed the people greatly. On investigation, Claiborne was charged with telling lies to the Indians for the purpose of stirring them up against the Marylanders, but in justice it must be said that when the Indians were questioned in his presence they declared that he had never done anything to prejudice them against the people of Maryland.

But there was trouble of a more serious nature when a vessel of Claiborne's, under the command of Thomas Smith, was seized in the Patuxent river for trading without a license in Maryland waters. In return, Claiborne fitted out an armed vessel, the Cockatrice, under the command of Lieutenant Ratcliffe Warren, which he sent out with orders to capture any Maryland vessel that might be met. When news of these mighty doings came to the ears of Governor Calvert, he promptly armed and sent out two vessels, the St. Margaret and the St. Helen, under the command of Captain Thomas Cornwallis. "The two expeditions met at the mouth of the Pocomoke on April 23d,1 and then and there was fought the first naval battle on the inland waters of America." Several men were killed and wounded on

1 1635.

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both sides, Lieutenant Warren being among the killed, and the Cockatrice surrendered. A second fight took place a few days later, in which Thomas Smith commanded the vessel of Claiborne, resulting in more bloodshed.

20. The Capture of Kent Island. For a time Claiborne remained in undisturbed possession of Kent Island. But his affairs presently took on a different color, for his London partners, Cloberry and Company, became dissatisfied with his management, and sent out an agent named George Evelin to take charge of their property. Claiborne tried hard to induce Evelin to promise not to give up the island to the Marylanders, but could not succeed. He then went to England and engaged in a lawsuit with the London merchants who had employed him. Evelin went to St. Mary's, after a time, and there he heard the other side of the story, and was fully convinced of the right of Maryland's claim to the island. On his return, he called the people together and explained the situation to them, and Lord Baltimore's authority was recognized. Governor Calvert then appointed Evelin commander of the island. A number of persons

But the matter was not yet settled. were arrested for debts owed to Cloberry and Company, and Thomas Smith (the same who had already taken part against the Marylanders) and John Butler (a brother-in-law of Claiborne) used every opportunity to stir up dissatisfaction. The matter finally amounted to a rebellion, and Governor Calvert, after several warnings, proceeded to the island himself, with a body of armed men, to offer a little more forcible persuasion. The attack was a complete surprise, and Smith and Butler were captured. The governor then offered to pardon all others who would come in at once and submit themselves to the government of Maryland, "whereupon," says Governor Calvert, in a letter to his brother, the proprietary, "the whole ileand came in and