Which colony was founded as a refuge for Catholics by the Calverts?

Which colony was founded as a refuge for Catholics by the Calverts?

• A. Delaware
• B. Massachusetts
• C. Maryland
• D. Virginia

Answer: (C)

Maryland was founded by the Calvert family as a haven for Catholics escaping persecution in England. Lord Baltimore, a Catholic noble, obtained a charter in the 1630s and, through his son Cecil Calvert, established a proprietary colony where Catholic worship could be practiced with a degree of religious freedom and political autonomy. The first settlers arrived in 1634 along the Chesapeake, and the colony was named in honor of Queen Henrietta Maria. This purpose of providing a safe place for Catholic worship is why Maryland fits the question best. Other colonies were established for different aims: Massachusetts by Puritans seeking a religious community, Virginia as an economic venture tied to tobacco, and Delaware for trade and settlement variety, rather than as a Catholic refuge led by the Calverts.

Maryland was founded by the Calvert family as a haven for Catholics escaping persecution in England. Lord Baltimore, a Catholic noble, obtained a charter in the 1630s and, through his son Cecil Calvert, established a proprietary colony where Catholic worship could be practiced with a degree of religious freedom and political autonomy. The first settlers arrived in 1634 along the Chesapeake, and the colony was named in honor of Queen Henrietta Maria. This purpose of providing a safe place for Catholic worship is why Maryland fits the question best.

Other colonies were established for different aims: Massachusetts by Puritans seeking a religious community, Virginia as an economic venture tied to tobacco, and Delaware for trade and settlement variety, rather than as a Catholic refuge led by the Calverts.