who founded maryland and why was it founded
History of Maryland The recorded history of Maryland dates back to when Europeans began exploring the area, starting with the Italian/Venetian John Cabot (c. 1450 – c. 1500), exploring the coast of the continent of North America for England in 1498. The first European settlements were made in 1634, when the English arrived in significant numbers and created a permanent colony. Maryland was notable for having been established with religious freedom for Roman Catholics.[1][2][3] Like other colonies of the Chesapeake Bay, its economy was based on tobacco as a commodity crop, cultivated primarily by African slave labor, although many young people came from Britain as indentured servants in the early years.