as slaves within five years of the colony s start.

The colonists sought to enact these bills to notify Lord Baltimore and the rest of the world
of the rights they asserted and the conditions of indentures. The failure to enact the bills referring
to slaves did not stem from any dispute over the propriety of slavery, but appears to be a function
of a dispute over legislative power between the Proprietor and the Assembly.53 Laws with similar
titles had been passed in 1638, but their text has not been found.54 In the 1639 session, only a bill
on the general assembly and a general bill on governance were enacted. The general governance
bill did state among other things that the inhabitants "shall have all their rights and liberties
according to the great Charter of England." The failure to pass any of the other thirty-one more
specific bills proposed, including the two mentioned here, suggests an issue over the proliferation
of legislation rather than objections to their text.

In 1642, the year Matt DeSousa attended the General Assembly and went on his expedition
to trade with the indians, Governor Leonard Calvert, Lord Baltimore's brother, contracted with John
Skinner, "mariner," for the purchase of "fourteen negro-men slaves and three women slaves of
between 16 and 26 year old able and sound in body and limbs, at some time before the first of the
march come twelve-month, at St. Marys, if he bring so many within the Capes." In exchange,
Calvert sold Skinner three manors and a dwelling house. If Skinner did not bring the "negro slaves",
he would owe Calvert 24,000 pounds of tobacco.55 If this shows an equivalence, the value of a
"negro slave" would be about 1410 pounds of tobacco, significantly more than the cost of a servant.56
The higher price then would demonstrate a value that was probably attributable to a much longer
duration of servitude.

In 1644, Thomas Cornwallis, Councillor and chief military officer of the province, paid 50
English pounds for the delivery of two negroes.57 This price also seems high compared to rates for
indentured servants and reinforces the conclusion that the institution of slavery had come to
Maryland.

The evidence is not conclusive, but the 1637 request of Lord Baltimore, the 1642 contract
of his brother, and the two bills of 1639 point to the conclusion that the founders of the province
intended almost from the outset to make a profit through the use of slaves. That is, they intended
to obtain as servants for their land persons who did not come willingly by contract, but who were
compelled by their status as captives to come. Further, the higher prices for such individuals, as well
as the text of the proposed bills show that the servitude was to be for a much longer period than other
servants.

One of the aspects which distinguishes American slavery from indentured servitude is that
the status is inherited. The evidence on when this consequence was acknowledged is fragmentary,
but it was established by 1649. In that year, Cuthbert Fenwick married Jane Moryson. The
"Jointure," setting aside certain property which the wife would take on her husband's death regardless
of any later events, deeded one female and two male negro servants "and all their issue both male
and female."58 The document does not suggest a departure from prior convention, so we may assume