claimed, but the messenger unfortunately died on the way, and
the delay thence resulting was used to alarm the ignorant and
timid. Although the Protestants outnumbered the Catholics
eleven or twelve to one, the credulous people were easily per-
suaded that a plot was on foot to bring down a force of hostile
Indians, who, joining with the Catholics, were to make a
general massacre of the Protestants, The terrified people
hastily took up arms in various places, and the leaders of the
sedition, headed by John Coode, a man of infamous character,
placed themselves at their head and seized the government.
This done, they wrote to King William, assuring him that
they had acted from motives of purest patriotism, and to pre-
serve the Protestants from destruction, and begging him to
take the government into his own hand.

Accordingly, William, without waiting for a legal investi-
gation, assumed the government, and in 1692 sent out Sir
Lionel Copley as the first royal governor. The Proprietary's
property and personal revenues were not confiscated, but the
whole proprietary government was superseded.

One of the first acts of the new government was to make
the Church of England the established church of the
province. Hitherto all worship had been free, and all the
churches had been supported by voluntary contributions, but
now all taxables had to contribute, to the extent of forty
pounds of tobacco per poll, to maintain the establishment.
Protestant Dissenters and Quakers were allowed their separate
meeting-houses, if they paid the tax.

During the administration of Francis Nicholson the seat of
government was removed from St. Mary's to Annapolis (1694.)
and a beginning was made toward a system of free schools by
the foundation of King William School, at the latter city.

Charles, the third Lord Baltimore, died in 1715. and his
title and estates went to his eldest sou, Benedict Leonard,
who had become a Protestant. He, however, died the same
year, and his son Charles, a minor, and also a Protestant, suc-
ceeded. As the charter had never been rescinded, but only
held in abeyance because of the Proprietary's faith, that
reason now no longer existed, and, on the petition of Charles'
guardian, the province was restored to him in 1716.

In 1751 Charles, the Proprietary, died, and was succeeded
by his only son, Frederick, sixth and last Baron of Balti-
more, who sent out Eoratio Sharpe as Governor.

The stamp tax, imposed in 1765, met with violent oppo-
sition in Maryland, the stamp distributor being compelled
to fly the province, and the stamps were shipped back to
England, as no one would use them.