Existing comment:
1659: Settlement in Blackwater
Between 1659 and 1669, and 500 settlers made their homes in Dorchester County. Lord Baltimore owned all the land in Maryland, which he parceled out to his friends. They were expected to establish manors in the English tradition and collect rents for the crown. In Dorchester County, they established large plantations, especially along waterways. After the Indian reservations were created (c. 1669 -- Choptank; 1678, 1698 -- Nanticoke), settlers also rented lands within the reservations from the Indians.
From the time plantations were established in the Blackwater area, and elsewhere in the County, labor was furnished by slaves. Slaves were regarded as property and were bought, sold, and bequeathed in wills. |