Pennsylvania and Maryland, Essay Example

Abstract

The paper compares and contrasts the two American colonies – Maryland and Pennsylvania. The work shows that although Pennsylvania and Maryland has several clear distinctions, including towns, native population, and the rulers, they mostly followed the same historical patterns. Both states, although somewhat different, later became the two critical elements of the new independent American country.

Introduction

The beginning of the colonial history in America was mostly the same across all American territories. Granted by the King, the territories were divided to be ruled by proprietors in a way that welcomed newcomers and turned immigration into the major source of the growing labor force in the country. Pennsylvania and Maryland were the two fastest growing colonies in America, and although the pathways they chose in history were somewhat different, both colonies represented a common picture of historical development in colonial America.

The name “Pennsylvania” has its roots in the two different words: “Sylvania” originates from the Latin word “sylva” or “forest”, while the prefix Penn was given by the King in tribute of Admiral Penn, whose son, William Penn, can be fairly regarded as the founder of the new colonial state (Taylor, 2002). Since the very beginning of its history, Pennsylvania belonged to Quakers, with William Penn being the central figure of the Quakers’ movement. The lands of Pennsylvania were granted to Penn by the King as the means to repay the debt of 16,000 pounds the King owned to Penn’s father (Taylor, 2002). As a result, William Penn became the founder of the new colonial state which was growing very rapidly and which was one of the most densely populated areas in colonial America. Like Pennsylvania, Maryland territories were granted to George Calvert by King Charles I. Later, Lord Baltimore became the sole proprietor or those territories, later named Maryland (Taylor, 2002). In distinction from Pennsylvania, whose first settlers were the Quakers, the first Maryland’s settlement was made of laborers and artisans, who were also accompanied by the two brothers of Lord Baltimore and were headed by the two Catholic priests (Taylor, 2002). Pennsylvania did have a general frame of government and Pennsylvania residents did have a voice in governmental performance. In the same way, settlers in Maryland were granted the right to create laws, to which the Lord and his brothers had to assent, unless any of them decided to use his right to veto. In this form, both states possessed a kind of self-government, which empowered people and laid the foundation for subsequent development of democratic ideals in other colonies. Notably, and in distinction from Pennsylvania, Maryland became the first colonial state to adopt the Toleration Act, which required that no person could be persecuted or discriminated against on the basis of his/ her religion (Taylor, 2002). At the same time, Pennsylvania established itself as the state tolerant to the rights of the Indians, and the vow Penn made in favor of Indians and the protection of their territories was followed long after he and his followers deceased.

Compared to Maryland, Pennsylvania displayed more rapid growth rates and was welcome to immigrants. Germans were leaving their country to escape religious wars in Germany, and upon coming to Pennsylvania they established Germantown. Germans were accepted for their relative peacefulness, industriousness and high level of education. Maryland was the land of the Englishmen, and the prosperity of the new colonial state soon became the subject of numerous pamphlets, which were distributed among local population in England and which also encouraged immigration (Taylor, 2002). Since the first years of its history, Pennsylvania was fairly regarded as the leading agricultural territory, and having abundant natural resources, Pennsylvania had unique opportunities to become economically advanced. As in Pennsylvania, those coming to live in America were given a piece of land or a plantation to begin their happy life. Tobacco was one of the major crops raised in the state. Maryland did not put any ban on slavery, and from the very beginning of its history, slavery was the critical component of its economic growth. Pennsylvania, on the contrary, restricted slavery and did not allow bringing slaves from other states. Moreover, many slaves were granted freedom by their masters and later became the productive members of Pennsylvanian community.

What made Maryland different from Pennsylvania was the absence of towns in the state. Everyone coming to Maryland was given a piece of land, which made towns unnecessary (Taylor, 2002). Communication was well-established, and even while there were no roads, the settlers found it easy to use water as the means of delivering goods and messages to each other. Pennsylvania had a similar monotonous history, and although somewhat better organized, both states pursued similar historical patterns and turned out to be the two essential elements of the new independent country.

Conclusion

Although the historical development in Pennsylvania and Maryland colonies followed somewhat different paths, both states displayed numerous similarities. Both had their proprietors, both welcomed immigration, and both used agriculture as the source of economic prosperity. Both states had their own forms of self-government, both welcomed active political participation, and both became the critical components of the new, later independent, American country.

References

Taylor, A. (2002). American colonies. Penguin Books.