The first English settlers arrived on the shores of the Chesapeake in 1607. With news of a favorable climate, it wasn't long until other charters were sought for this area. The second Lord Baltimore received a grant from Charles I to establish the Colony of Maryland, named for Queen Henrietta Maria. In 1633, over 150 colonists set sail for the southern tip of Maryland's western shore.
     Lord Baltimore opposed the Jesuits desire to make Maryland a theocracy. In fact, he encouraged Puritan Protestant settlers. Soon, England's civil war was imported to the new world. During this time of troubles and after Ingle's Rebellion, Catholics, fearing death, sought refuge in neighboring Virginia. Eventually, Maryland's first capitol city, Saint Marys, was moved to the protestant stronghold of Annapolis. Lord Baltimore's rule ended in 1689 and in the wake of the Glorious Revolution, Catholics were disenfranchised.
     Old Trinity Church of Dorchester Parish, circa 1670, is featured in this view. The church is located on the Delmarva Peninsula in the town of Church Creek. This red brick, plain church building exemplifies the move from large, ornate European cathedrals. This Episcopal Church, with its beginning in Maryland, attributes its roots to Saint Margaret's and the Anglican Church.