Maryland was founded by Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, who received the royal charter for the colony from King Charles I in 1632. The colony was initially granted to his father, George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, who sought to establish a haven for English Catholics before his death that same year. Cecil Calvert then led the colonizing efforts, sending the first settlers in 1633–1634, led by his brother Leonard Calvert.
Maryland was named in honor of Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of King Charles I, though some Catholic scholars believe it was also named after Mary, the mother of Jesus. The colony was notable for its policy of religious tolerance and was intended as a refuge for Catholics facing persecution in England.
The first group of settlers landed on March 25, 1634, at St. Clement's Island in southern Maryland, an event commemorated annually as Maryland Day. The initial settlers were predominantly Protestant despite the Catholic proprietorship, with an economy based on tobacco cultivation driven largely by indentured servants and enslaved Africans.
In summary, the founder of Maryland is attributed to Cecil Calvert, backed initially by his father George Calvert, under a royal charter from King Charles I. The colony was named for Queen Henrietta Maria and established with an emphasis on religious freedom.
