Existing comment:
Clearing the Land:
Early Marylanders led harsh lives. Their first important task was to clear the land so they could plant tobacco and corn.
To allow the sun to reach their first season's crops, they killed the trees by cutting through the bark at their base. later they felled the trees and used the wood to build houses, fuel their fires, and make simple tools and furniture.
Labor for Hire:
Many colonists came to Maryland as indentured servants, agreeing to work for seven years to pay back the cost of the voyage from England. When they finished their term of service, they received tools, land, and clothing. Later, African slaves swelled the colony's labor supply. |