Maryland, of course, had been established by the Catholic Lord Baltimore George Calvert, as a haven of religious freedom. Unfortunately, the Calvinists had no such notions of religious freedom, and plundered Maryland (1642-1649), driving most of the Catholics out of the colonies.
In 1649, despite the loss of King Charles I, defender of religious liberty, Maryland reached a peace in 1649 between religious parties, the Maryland Toleration Act, which would serve as the model for religious freedom in the colonies.
It did not last. In 1689, the Calvinists, a majority since the plundering of 1642-1649, marched on the capital of Providence (later renamed Annapolis after Queen Anne), and overthrew the government of Maryland once more. Catholic mass would be prohibited, forcing “house masses” to be conducted in secret, until the American Revolution.
Dr. Richard Gardiner is a professor of History Education at Columbus State University. In addition to a Doctor’s of History from Marquette University, he holds a Master’s of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary (Presbyterian Church of the USA).