Lord Baltimore
Lord Baltimore is an ambiguous name, one that can be traced back to George Calvert and to his son, Cecilius Calvert. In fact, both of them are Lord Baltimore. The latter is the second Lord Baltimore and the former is the first. Father and son play a vital role in the formation of the thirteen colonies and their distinguishable qualities, restrictions, and vital essence. In a sense, they are one entity. George Calvert, a devout Catholic, always dreamt of a place where he could worship in peace and freedom. He was part of a society constructed of prejudice toward the Catholic faith, but that will come into play later. George was born in Yorkshire, London and went to a small university in Oxford as a young man. After completing…show more content… This new colony was named after the queen consort, Henrietta Maria. Maryland became a safe haven for Roman Catholics. Maryland was a fairly tolerant colony in the midst of New England, but its freedom extended to only those who classified themselves as Christians. Cecilius was only 26 when he was granted with the charter, so many people were speculative of his abilities as a leader. He proved them wrong, however, and governed Maryland to the best of his ability. He convinced both Protestant and Catholic friends to settle in Maryland, in an attempt to extend the colony and its population. Although very dedicated to the colony and its future, he never actually visited Maryland. He had to protect his charter in England; he strongly believed that only he could keep the king supportive of the safe haven-like colony. Because of his inability to travel to Maryland, he sent his younger brother, Leonard, to become its governor. Along with Leonard, he sent strict regulations regarding the behavior and laws that were to be followed in Maryland, while he stayed in his home, Kiplin Hall, in Yorkshire. Cecilius was very loyal to his colony, and even in times of struggle managed to salvage it, in every sense of the word. For example, when tension arose between the English Parliament and King Charles, he became friends with key people associated with Parliament, but he always remained loyal to the king. That way, no matter what side came out triumphant, Maryland and its inhabitants would be in good graces. Perfection doesn’t last forever and in the early 1650’s, the inevitable happened. The waging of civil wars in the motherland, England, disrupted the tranquility in New England and, ultimately, Maryland as well. During these tension-filled times, Cecilius lost control over Maryland for years at a time. When he was able to retain it, he thought