The best description of the reason why Lord Baltimore started a colony in Maryland is that he sought to create a refuge for English Catholics who were persecuted in England and to establish a place where Catholics and Protestants could live together peacefully with religious toleration. George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, originally wished to create a haven for English Catholics in the New World, and after his death, his son Cecil Calvert (the second Lord Baltimore) received the charter from King Charles I to found the colony. Cecil Calvert aimed to make Maryland a place of religious freedom, inviting both Catholic and Protestant settlers to live there, hoping to expand English political and economic influence while providing a social experiment in peaceful coexistence of different Christian denominations
. In summary:
- Maryland was founded as a refuge for persecuted English Catholics.
- It was intended to be a place of religious tolerance for Catholics and Protestants alike.
- The colony was also meant to expand English influence in America.
- Cecil Calvert managed the colony from England and sent settlers of both faiths to establish it
