Each year, on March 25th, our state officially recognizes and celebrates Maryland Day. The day commemorates the formal founding of the colony of Maryland.
On March 25, 1634, passengers from two small ships – The Ark and the Dove, took possession of what is now Maryland, on St. Clement’s Island. The settlement of Maryland was authorized by Charles I of England and named after his wife, Queen Henrietta Maria, under a charter he first granted to George Calvert, then, on the father’s death, to his son Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron of Baltimore. Leading the settlement group was George’s nephew, the brother of Lord Baltimore, Leonard Calvert, who traveled on the Ark. This was not a voyage of discovery, but rather one of settlement.
The two ships departed from Cowes on the Isle of Wight on November 22, 1633. There were 140 souls traveling on the two ships. After three days at sea, a severe storm separated the two ships, the whereabouts of the Dove (the smaller ship) was unknown. The Ark continued the journey, sailing due west into the Atlantic from what is now the Canary Islands. The ship made landfall at Barbados, West Indies on January 3, 1634, where it stayed for three weeks to replenish supplies. To the great joy of the travelers, it was during this 3 week stay that the Dove reappeared, intact.
From Barbados the journey continued to the Caribbean where the ships stopped briefly before sailing north. The ships reached Virginia on February 27th and, after resupplying, they navigated the Chesapeake Bay to the mouth of the Potomac by March 3rd.
The approach of the ships to the shores of Southern Maryland very much alarmed the Conoy Indians and surrounding Native American tribes including the Piscataway. The tribes sent alerts using huge signal fires, to warn of the intruders. In an effort to make peace, Leonard Calvert sailed the Dove to Piscataway and negotiated an accord with the Native American representatives. Calvert then sailed back down the Potomac to what is now St. Mary’s County. On March 25th, the settlers climbed off the two ships and rowed to a small island which they named St. Clement’s, setting foot for the first time on what was to become the State of Maryland. They held a day of thanksgiving for their safe voyage. The State continues to commemorate this day as Maryland Day.
Formal observance of Maryland Day began in 1903, by the Board of Education as a day all students were to learn Maryland history. In 1916, the Maryland General Assembly authorized the day as a legal holiday in Maryland.
This year, with the pandemic becoming more manageable, the public is encouraged to celebrate the day at the St. Clement’s Island Museum. Festivities will take place from 9am to 2pm, admission is free as are water taxi rides to the island. In addition to food trucks and special exhibits, a public ceremony from 2-3pm will feature guest speakers and dignitaries from around the State. There will be a public Mass on the island at 11am to commemorate the first English-speaking Mass held Maryland. There will also be a ceremonial presentation of gifts from the English to the Native Americans to commemorate the accord signed by Calvert.
If you are a history buff, you don’t want to miss this celebration. If you just want to visit picturesque St. Mary’s County, or Historic St Mary’s City, the first settlement in Maryland, here is your excuse!