lords proprietors sponsored the first english colony in the americas.
lords proprietors sponsored the first english colony in the americas.
who sponsored the first english colony in the americas?
lords proprietors
the first english settlers in massachusetts, the pilgrims, established their settlement at plymouth in 1620, and developed friendly relations with the native wampanoag. this was the second successful permanent english colony in north america, after the jamestown colony. before heading to the new world, they migrated to holland to escape the harsh treatment from king james for rejecting england's official church. although they were allowed some religious liberties in holland, the liberalism and openness of the dutch to all styles of life horrified them. they approached the virginia company and asked to settle "as a distinct body of themselves" in america. in the fall of 1620, they sailed to north america on the "mayflower", first landing near the tip of cape cod (modern-day provincetown, massachusetts). blown north off its course, the mayflower landed at a site that had been named plymouth. since the area was not land that lay within their charter, they created the mayflower compact, one of america's first documents of self-governance, prior to landing. the first year was extremely difficult, with inadequate supplies. they also suffered grievously from smallpox and malaria. they were assisted, however, in their time of trouble by the wampanoag under-chief massasoit.
history of massachusetts
in 1631, william claiborne founded a trading post on kent island in what would become maryland. this trading post is maryland's first english settlement. claiborne was a protestant, and had a "deep hatred of catholics". this feeling was intensified when king charles of england planned to give lord baltimore (george calvert, a catholic) the english colony province of maryland—which included kent island. during the 16th and 17th centuries, catholics were not treated well in england, and some saw the english colonies as a possible place of refuge. calvert and his son cecil (the 2nd lord baltimore) believed that the maryland colony could be a refuge for roman catholics, and they also believed that all christians could live there together. george calvert died in 1632, two months before the charter for the province of maryland was issued. his son cecil (cecilius) inherited the lord baltimore title and proprietor of the new colony. the charter was granted on june 20, 1632. maryland was the fourth major try to establish an english colony in the americas where catholics could practice their religion.
st. peter's church (queenstown, maryland)