Library introduction case studies biographies timeline in the news faqs		Frequently Asked Questions: The Colony Grows Why did the capital move to Annapolis? I heard that kids didn't go to school in early Maryland. Is that true? What did they do? Were there any battles or wars in Maryland between 1640 and 1700? What happened to the native Woodland Indian tribes, like the Yaocomacos, Piscataways, Nanticokes, and Susquehannocks? What kind of clothing did people wear in 17th century Maryland? What was happening in the other colonies during this time? What were the early roads made from? What was the population of Maryland at this time? Why would the colonists try to embalm the man in Solve the Mystery of the Three Lead Coffins? How did plantation owners in Maryland get indentured servants? I've heard they are planning to rebuild the chapel where they found the three lead coffins. How do they know what to do? Why did the capital move to Annapolis? For over 100 years in England, two religious groups - the Catholics and the Protestants - had argued. Sometimes, these arguments turned into actual battles. Other times, quieter ways of fighting were used. Maryland's capital was actually part of this battle. In 1688, King William and Queen Mary took the throne in England. The new royals were Protestants. The Lords Baltimore, who ruled Maryland, were Catholics. Some people, both in England and in Maryland, resented a Catholic family ruling them. In 1689, a sheriff named John Coode from Charles County, MD, raised an army and marched to St. Mary's City. The leaders of Maryland surrendered, and royal, Protestant leaders were appointed by England. In 1695, Governor Francis Nicholson decided to move the capital from St. Mary's to Annapolis. Part of his decision was based on the population. Maryland had expanded to the north, and Annapolis was closer to where most people lived. Another part of his decision was based on the port. The harbor at Annapolis was much larger better protected. But behind these reasons was another unspoken reason. Moving the capital from where the Catholic Lords Baltimore founded Maryland to a spot picked by the new Protestant leaders reminded people of the change in leadership. So in 1695, the capital moved and plans were drawn for a new State House in Annapolis. I heard that kids didn't go to school in early Maryland. Is that true? What did they do? That is true. Most kids in the 17th century didn't go to school. But before you start imagining days spent playing games, swimming, and relaxing, listen to what they did instead. Think of kids in the 17th century as little adults. Like adults, children had chores to do every day. During the summer, picking bugs from the thousands and thousands of tobacco leaves all day long was their main job. Children as young as 3 years old were expected to help clean and gather firewood. Girls were to help their mother grind corn using a mortar and pestle for up to 7 hours per day. From sunrise to sunset Monday through Saturday, a kid's life is filled with work. During the small amount of free time, boys and girls might get to play a game like quoits, where you throw a rope tied in a circle around a stake. This game is somewhat like horseshoes. Suddenly, school doesn't seem that bad, does it? Some teaching was done by parents at night. Kids might learn Bible verses, and boys might learn basic math to help during the tobacco harvest. By the 1700s, some families might have tutors. Were there any battles or wars in Maryland between 1640 and 1700? There were a few. The most interesting was probably fought between state militia, or regular citizens organized to fight in an emergency, and a man named William Claiborne. Claiborne was a trader who had come from England to Virginia sometime between 1629 and 1632. He set up a trading post on Kent Island, a large island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay just east of modern-day Annapolis. When Lord Baltimore received his land grant giving him the land Claiborne had settled, Claiborne was extremely angry. On April 23, 1635, the disagreement over the land came to a head. Two ships, the St. Helen and the St. Margaret, lead by Thomas Cornwaleys attacked one of Claiborne's trade ships, the Cockatrice. The fight was the first known naval battle in North American waters. The other major battle of early Maryland was known as Ingle's Rebellion. In 1642, England fell into civil war. The war spilled over to the colonies, and was especially harsh in Maryland. A man named Richard Ingle led a group of mercenaries, or hired soldiers, in an attack against St. Mary's City. Governor Leonard Calvert fled to Virginia, and prisoners were taken back to England. Governor Calvert returned with his own mercenaries a year later. Ingle and his men had already fled, leaving fewer than 100 survivors. Slowly, the colony rebuilt from the attack that almost destroyed Maryland. What happened to the native Woodland Indian tribes, like the Yaocomacos, Piscataways, Nanticokes, and Susquehannocks? Most of the tribes on the western shore of Maryland (like the Yaocomacos and Piscataways) quickly gave way to the colonists. In many cases, the white settlers offered axes, hoes, cloth, and other trade goods for their land. The smaller tribes also wanted to escape the warlike tribes of the north, like the Susquehannocks and the Iroquois. The colonists, with their guns, offered protection some tribes couldn't resist. Over time, some native peoples became servants for plantation owners, and others lived on early reservations. Of course, not all dealings with the natives were kind and just. The fate of other tribes, like the Nanticokes and Susquehannocks, were much different. After years of fighting between themselves and with the Iroquois, the Nanticokes were forced to scatter across the country. Many settled in New York, while others settled in Wyoming, Pennsylvania, and perhaps even other parts of Maryland. The Susquehannocks had the worst fate of all native Marylanders. Between 1661 and 1673, they were defeated again and again by a group of tribes called the Five Nations. Driven north, the Susquehannocks were blamed for damage and murder at plantations in their path. Militia from Virginia attacked the tribe, and they were forced to join the Five Nations. Their numbers continued to decline until 1763, when angry colonists attacked and killed the last of the Susquehannocks. What kind of clothing did people wear in 17th century Maryland? Most people only had one or two sets of clothes. Girls wore shifts, similar to long nightgowns, underneath their outer clothing. On top of their shift was a fitted bodice. Aprons were worn over layers of skirts. Heads were covered with a cap or a crosscloth, which was a square piece of cloth that could be folded and rolled to form a head covering. Wide-brimmed hats were sometimes worn on top of caps, but hats were expensive. Shoes were expensive too. They were worn only when needed. Boys wore loose shirts underneath their outer clothing. They wore doublets (short jackets), which laced or buttoned up. Sometimes they wore greatcoats (long jackets), but the amount of material needed made those very expensive. It was fashionable in the 1600s to have breeches, or pants, that ended just below the knee. When boys wore shoes, they also wore long stockings. Boys almost always covered their heads, usually with a wide-brimmed hat Cloth that was dyed with dark colors was more expensive than cloth dyed with colors made from easy-to-find plants. Decorations like lace, trim, embroidery, and ribbons also cost more. — From: Historic St. Mary's City Programs Department What was happening in the other colonies during this time? Major changes were taking place in other colonies and the world from 1640-1700. In New England, towns like Boston and New Amsterdam (renamed New York) grew rapidly into cities and communities. Maryland's northern neighbor, Pennsylvania, was founded by a Quaker named William Penn in 1681. To the south, Virginia grew faster and larger than any other colony, with over 62,000 colonists by 1700. Plantations, much larger and in greater number than in Maryland, sprung up all across the territory. And in England, a bloody revolution lead by Oliver Cromwell overthrew the king between 1640 and 1659. Check out the following timelines to see what else was going on in Maryland and the world in this time: Infoplese World History - world events 1600-1699 Early Colonial Era - major events in the American colonies before 1700 Virtual Jamestown Timeline - Virginia and world events 1507-today The Colonial Period - a written timeline of the colonial period Maryland Historical Chronology - Maryland State Archives timeline Maryland's Time Line - simple timeline of Maryland-only history Explore a Slavery Timeline - see the interactive Maryland slavery timeline on this site What were the early roads made from? Most roads were little more than dirt paths. If there was one way to get from the dock to a man's house, he probably used the same path all the time. If there was a fast, safe, and easy road for a horse or wagon to travel from one town to another, many people used that path. Over time, the grass would wear away. If carts were used, wheel ruts would begin to show on the path. Eventually, everyone knew and used the path because it was the easiest way to travel. So the dirt path became a 17th century road. Things were a little different in towns. The government planners might lay out a street plan. In St. Mary's City, the dirt roads formed two triangles. Later, at Annapolis, the street plan included two large circles at the center of town. But, like country roads, many streets just developed from people using the same dirt path over and over again. What was the population of Maryland at this time? Today in the United States, a census is given every 10 years. The census tracks things like population, growth, diversity, and wealth in our country. Using a census today, answering the question "What is the population in Maryland today?" is easy. Try visiting the U.S. Census Bureau page on Maryland if you'd like to know about modern Maryland's population. Unfortunately, life and government in 17th century Maryland wasn't so organized. There was no census, and many records of the time have been lost over the years. Historians like Dr. Russell Menard have tried to estimate population by looking at records of family names, court records, and land titles. The best estimate to date is that between 1634 and 1681, somewhere between 26,500 to 31,000 colonists arrived in Maryland. Population growth was very slow from 1634 to around 1650, with probably fewer than 1,000 people living in Maryland. But after 1650, Maryland grew very rapidly. For example, between 1650 and 1660, Dr. Menard estimated Maryland grew from around 700 colonists to over 4,000. Why would the colonists try to embalm the man in Solve the Mystery of the Three Lead Coffins? The short answer is "we don't know." The long answer is a little more complex. Embalming after someone dies has been common in humans since the ancient Egyptians embalmed the Pharaohs. What made the man in the large coffin's embalming unusual was the time and place. Most men, women, and children in 1680's Maryland were buried in flimsy wooden coffins or in nothing at all. Even the very wealthy were usually buried in wooden coffins. So a burial in a lead coffin was almost unheard of for the time. And a person embalmed in a lead coffin was, before the discovery, almost unimaginable. Embalming was very rare in England at the time. So you can imagine how unusual this "luxury" practice would be across the Atlantic Ocean. We can only assume that the man's important status in society and family wealth led to his unusual burial. But we will probably never know the real reasons he was embalmed. How did plantation owners in Maryland get indentured servants? There were several ways someone could come to America as an indentured servant. A few were people who were given the choice of staying in jail or becoming indentures in the New World. Some were recruited through wealthy plantation owners already in the New World. But most were poor men, women, and even children whose life in England was a horrible struggle. They willingly signed an indenture contract to have a chance at a better life. Most contracts were 2 or 5 years, but children could be indentured until they turned 21. The indenture contract might be signed with an investment company, like the famous Virginia Company that started Virginia. The company would then sell the indenture contract to a ship's master, or captain, who was sailing to America. Most indentured servants could choose which colony they wanted to travel to, but little else. They took only what they could carry. Many indentured servants took only the clothes on their back. When the ship arrived in a port - say, St. Mary's City in Maryland - people would come down to the dock. The ship's master would then hold an auction. The indentures would be brought out and looked over by the plantation owners. Strength, health, and special skills were highly valued. The plantation owners would bid parts of their tobacco crop to buy the indentured servant's contract. Indentured servants could cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand pounds of tobacco. When the sale was complete, the indentured servant had to work for his or her new master until their indenture contact was finished.. I've heard they are planning to rebuild the chapel where they found the three lead coffins. How do they know what to do? There certainly aren't any building plans or drawings. Instead, the builders are using drawings created by archaeologists and historians. During their digs, archaeologists uncovered the chapel's foundation, or underground supports that hold up a building. This gave them the shape of the building and its general size. Using this and other clues, like pieces of imported stone floor and roof tiles, the researchers came up with a rough sketch of the building. Artists and architects refined the sketches, and it is from these plans that the new church is built. Researchers also studied the bricks from the foundation. Colonists were able to make bricks by combining clay with broken oyster shells. Modern researchers still haven't been able to exactly recreate these unique bricks. But they have created some close (and sturdier) bricks of their own using the same methods the colonists used. The new chapel is also being built with the same bricklaying and construction methods used by early Marylanders. So, will the chapel look exactly as it did in the late 17th century? Probably not. But it will be very close, both in materials and shape.
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