Original Inhabitants

The Indians who originally inhabited the area included the Piscataways, who lived in the southern part of the county. The Susquehannocks lived in northern Prince George's County. The first significant European contact with the Indians came in the form of traders. Prince George's County grew in the 1700s with the arrival of men and women from the British Isles and other parts of Europe. The groups consisted of freedmen, indentured servants, and African slaves. The main occupation of the people of Prince George's County was consistent with the occupations of most of the other colonist during that period: they were farmers. Prince George's County developed mostly from the wealth they received from the growth of tobacco. The plantation system was predominant, and the Church of England was the established church. The county also became dominant in horse racing.

Establishment of Maryland

In order to understand how Prince George's County was created, we must take a look at the creation of the colony of Maryland. Maryland was created from a grant in 1632 from King Charles I of England. The first colonist came on two ships, the Ark and the Dove. The concept of the Colony of Maryland was the brainchild of George Calvert. Calvert was knighted and had a long role in government service. He was a member in Parliament, acted as Secretary of State, and was a member of Privy Council.

Before the land grant could be granted for Maryland, Calvert died. The grant was therefore issued to his eldest son, Cecil Calvert. Cecil looked at Maryland as a venture to increase the wealth and the prestige of his family. Cecil Calvert was also driven by other motives. Mainly, he wanted to create a Catholic colony in the new world, because Catholicism was frowned upon by the crown. It would be impossible due to the small population of Catholics in England to create a Catholic colony. Instead, he created Maryland as a colony with religious toleration. Cecil remained in England, when the original colonist sailed, to defend the charter against all opposition.

The colonist arrived amidst a battle between the Piscataways and the Susquehannocks. The Governor of Maryland at its creation was Leonard Calvert, a younger brother of Cecil. Upon arrival he was advised by a trader to seek permission from the Piscataway Indians before settling. They agreed, seeing the new arrivals as a potential ally against the threat of the Susquehannocks.

The trip from England had taken the Colonist 3.5 months. The first colonist to arrive numbered 140. They were mostly young Protestant men. Aboard were also Catholic gentlemen, the younger sons of the gentry. The promise of land had brought most of the people to Maryland. The colonists bought land that the Piscataways were abandoning due to their fear of raids by the Susquehannocks. This land came to be known as Saint Mary's City and was the first settlement in Maryland. The religious toleration of Maryland drew many settlers from all forms of Christianity.

Maryland was prime example of the principle of mercantilism between a mother country and her colonies. Maryland sent England Tobacco in return for coffee, rum, tools clothing and other finished goods necessary for survival. The population of Maryland was very spread out, due to the use of the Potomac as the main form of transportation through boats. This is the reason even in Maryland today, there is a strong emphasis on the county as the most popular form of local government. The counties were spread out, because people lived on large land tracts. They did not live together in cities. A government for all counties would equal poor regulation. The more direct county government was therefore accepted.

Settling of Prince George's County

The settling of Prince George's County started from migration from the southern parts of Maryland. The settlers to the county came up the Patuxent and Potomac on boats and canoes. Their primary obstacle was clearing the land to build a home and farms. Settlers built simple homes, surrounded by a small plot of land for farming.

The county did not officially become Prince George's County until a generation after the arrival of the first settlers. It was the practice in Maryland not to deem an area a county until it was populous enough to support a county government. Prince George's county was the sixth county established in Maryland.

The court of the county had the most power, acting as both the judicial and executive branch. The court levied taxes, built and maintained roads, issued licenses and did all the other things that the county needed. The sheriff was the other position in government which had power. The county at its creation also contained a fair number of Piscataway Indians. The increase in the size of the county led a lot of these Indians to move away. This was caused by new restrictions in areas to live, and where they could hunt for food. The Indians moved to Pennsylvania.

Their Reasons for Coming

The question still remains, why did the settlers come? Why would anyone leave a secure European society, to the dangerous, unsettled frontier? The answer lies in the actual people who migrated to the colonies. These people consisted of individuals who did not possess lands in Europe. The opportunity of owning land in the colonies drew the multitudes. The second sons of great landowners in Europe also migrated to the colonies. The reason is because the legal system in Europe gave all the land to the eldest son of a landowner. The rest of the sons were left to find their own way. The opportunity of being land owners, made the risk of the colonies equal the rewards for the second sons of the upper class.

It was not only the settlers that had motives to come to the new world. The crown saw great financial incentives in establishing colonies. The colonies could provide products to differentiate the English Import. The colonies could also give England cheap raw materials it did not possess on the British Isles. Lastly, the colonies provided a place to diffuse the ever growing population of England.

The other driving force for the settlers was the idea of colonies with religious freedom. Most European nations had one main religion that was championed by the state. The colony of Maryland was created primarily to provide a haven for those who wanted to worship a religion opposite that of the state. The colony of Maryland was one of the original few that provided religious toleration. The Calverts' original plan for Maryland was to make it a place for Catholicism. The English Catholic population was too small to support a Catholic colony. The Calverts then changed their position to one of religious toleration. In England, it was a requirement for the citizens to show their loyalty to the Church of England. They had to go to their local church a few times a year, and take communion at least once a year. Failure to attend church, led to fines and even in extreme cases, jail. All of these factors provided good motives for Catholics to migrate away from the clutch of the king, to an area they could worship as they pleased.

Bibliography

Facts & History. Prince George's County, Maryland 2004.

Feeling at Home in Prince George's County History.

McSherry, James. A history of Maryland; from its settlement in 1634 to the year 1848, with an account of its first discovery, and the various explorations of the Chesapeake Bay, anterior to, its settlement; to which is added, a copious appendix, containing the names of the officers of the old Maryland line: the lords proprietary of the province, and the governors of Maryland, from its settlement to the present time. Baltimore, J. Murphy & Co.; Cushings & Bailey 1852.

Prince George's County Historical Society History

Prince George's County History.

Quinn, D. Early Maryland in a Wider World. Wayne State University Press. Detroit, Michigan, 1982.

Van Horn, R.L. Out of the past: Prince Georgeans and their land. Riverdale, Md. Prince George's County Historical Society, 1976.