DATE: March 25, 1999

TIME: 9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

PLACE: Governor's Reception Room, the State House

ATTENDEES

Parris N. Glendening, Governor
Edward C. Papenfuse, State Archivist
Ann Jensen, author of Leonard Calvert and the Maryland Adventure
Marcy Dunn Ramsey, illustrator of Leonard Calvert and the Maryland Adventure

Boys' Latin School, Baltimore, Maryland

32 Members of the 3rd grade
Teachers:
Geri Redfield, Third Grade Teacher
Martha Gardner, Third Grade Teacher
Sallie Papenfuse, Reading Specialist
Sue Szczypinski, Head of the Lower School

BACKGROUND OF EVENT

Maryland Day, March 25, is the day on which Marylanders celebrate the founding of the colony. It is the anniversary of the landing of the settlers from the Ark and the Dove on St. Clement's Island in 1634. They had set sail from England on November 22, 1633 with Leonard Calvert as their leader. He had been appointed governor of the new colony by his brother Cecil Calvert, the proprietor of Maryland. Cecil Calvert never came to Maryland but remained in England to protect his rights to the colony. The Charter of Maryland was granted by King Charles I to Cecil Calvert on June 20, 1632. It had been requested by Cecil and Leonard's father, George Calvert, who died before it was granted.

Today's event is built around a children's book which was published in 1998, called Leonard Calvert and the Maryland Adventure, written by Annapolis author Ann Jensen and illustrated by Marcy Dunn Ramsey of Chestertown.

The event will also focus on the 350th anniversary of An Act Concerning Religion, also known as the Act of Toleration, which was passed by the General Assembly of Maryland meeting in St. Mary's City on April 21, 1649.

About the author and the illustrator:
 

• Ms. Jensen has written other books, including Chesapeake Bay Schooners and a children's book about Annapolis during the Revolution called The World Turned Upside Down. She is also the co-editor of the Local History Series of historical studies of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County published by the Maryland State Archives and the Maryland Historical Trust.
• Ms. Ramsey has illustrated many books including Awesome Chesapeake, a children's guide to the Bay and wrote and illustrated Rosie's Posies.


About Boys' Latin School: Boys' Latin School is non-denominational school offering a traditional college preparatory curriculum. It has 592 students in grades K-12 and a faculty of 73 full- and part-time teachers. Founded in 1844, Boys' Latin is the oldest private, non-sectarian school for boys in Maryland.
 

• Selected Readings:

• First reading: Page 22. This relates to the instructions that Cecil Calvert gave to his brother, Leonard, before the Ark and

          Dove left England regarding what he should do to establish government when he arrived in Maryland.
• Second reading: Pages 57 - 59: This passage relates to the first meeting of the General Assembly in 1635. The Charter of     Maryland required the governor to consult with the freemen of the colony. This is the foundation of representative government in Maryland. However, Cecil Calvert was not pleased with the laws which the General Assembly passed and sent them back, saying that he would propose his own laws which the Assembly could meet to approve.
• Third reading (read right after above passage): Pages 65: This relates to the General Assembly's rejection of the Cecil Calvert's proposed laws. They passed some laws of their own which were then accepted by Cecil Calvert.
• The discussion of these two passages can relate to how the present-day governor and the General Assembly work together to pass laws and how they sometimes don't agree. It can also include the fact that the governor can, and sometimes does, veto laws passed by the General Assembly but also often accepts their suggestions and amendments.

•  What it was like to be the first governor of Maryland in the 1600s and what it is like to be governor of Maryland today. Some important comparisons:
•  How did Leonard Calvert become governor?
• He wasn't elected but was appointed by his brother who was the owner of the colony. The governor today is elected by the people.
• How old was Leonard Calvert when he became governor?
• He was 28 when he became governor which is very young for present day governors. However, people did not usually live as long then as people do today.
• What powers did Leonard Calvert have?
• He was responsible for all aspects of government, including administration and finding the money to run the colony. Today, the governor is one of a number of important public officials. These include the Comptroller, who collects taxes and pays the state's bills, and members of the elected General Assembly who review and approve the governor's budget.
• What were the most important issues for Leonard Calvert?
• Defence: Protecting the people of the colony was one of Leonard Calvert's biggest concerns. Now, because Maryland is part of the national defence system, this is not a major issue for the present governor. However, the governor is the commander-in-chief of the Maryland National Guard which is very helpful in emergency situations.
• Trade: For Leonard Calvert the survival of the colony depended on developing trade, especially in furs. For the present governor, trade and economic development are also important and occupy much of his time.
• Who was Margaret Brent and why was she so important and so unusual?
• She was a wealthy landowner and handled Leonard Calvert's property after his death. Very few women had any political influence and power in England or Maryland.
• However, when she asked the General Assembly for two votes, one as a landowner and one as Lord Baltimore's lawyer, the delegates refused.
• Why was the Act of Toleration so important in Maryland and U.S. history?
• The act was the first to allow freedom of religion in the American colonies and it was the first to provide for the separation of church and state. Although the Act only allowed freedom of religion for Christians, it was important because it was the first to state the idea that religion was a private matter of conscience. Freedom of religion and the separation of church and state are now rights guaranteed to all Americans under the U.S. Constitution.

Finally: If the question of slavery is raised: in the early days of the colony, slavery was not an established institution in Maryland. This came about later in the century due to the tobacco trade. Tobacco became the most important cash crop and required a lot of work to grow it. It is important to note that not all African Americans in 17th century Maryland were slaves. In fact, an African American named Mathias deSouza was a member of the first session of the General Assembly of freemen. Also,  an explorer trading furs with the Indians met "a negro who lived among them to learn the language."