6) Describe the characteristics of the early English settlements: Focus on the following: Maryland and The Carolinas

The early English settlements in America were varied in their characteristics, population, economy, and reasons for settlement. We will focus on Maryland and The Carolinas specifically.

Maryland: - Founded in 1632 by Cecil Calvert, also known as Lord Baltimore, Maryland was intended as a haven for English Catholics in the New World. The Calvert family wanted to provide a place where religious freedom for Catholics was respected, at a time when they faced persecution in Protestant England. - The colony was named after Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of King Charles I of England. - Maryland's economy was initially based on tobacco farming, which required a lot of labor. This led to the importation of indentured servants, and later, African slaves, to work in the tobacco fields. - The colony introduced the Act of Toleration in 1649, which guaranteed religious freedom to all Christians, but not to people of other faiths. This was one of the earliest laws guaranteeing religious liberty in the English colonies. - Maryland's geography and fertile soil made it ideal for farming, leading to a plantation-based economy.

The Carolinas: - The Carolinas were originally chartered as one entity in 1663, when King Charles II granted the territory to eight Lords Proprietors as a reward for their assistance in restoring him to the throne. - Initially, the Carolinas were settled by people moving down from Virginia and by English settlers coming directly from England, as well as by the relocation of enslaved African workers and European indentured servants. - The northern and southern regions of Carolina began to diverge practically from the beginning. The northern part was less suitable for the cash crops that flourished in the south, leading to smaller, more subsistence-oriented farms. - The southern part, which would become South Carolina, saw the establishment of Charleston in 1670. It became a major port and the economic center of the colony. The economy was based on the trade of deerskin, cattle, and lumber early on, and then later on rice and indigo, all of which were labor-intensive and relied on slave labor. - Both North and South Carolina became Royal Colonies in the early 18th century, which means they came under direct control of the English monarchy.