PLANTING IN MARYLAND. 35 



Charles I. enacted the most stringent laws against its import- 

 ation, nearly suppressing the trade, which caused the 

 English farmers to cultivate it for home xise ; but another 

 law was now added to suppress its growth on English soil. 



Fairholt in speaking of the hostility of King James to the 

 plant says : 



"When Kings make unnecessary and unjust laws, subjects 

 naturally study how to evade them : it is a mere system of 

 self-defence; and as James nearly suppressed the importation 

 of tobacco the English began to grow it on their own land. 

 But the Scottish Solomon who was on the alert, added 

 another law restraining its cultivation l to misuse and mis- 

 employ the soil of this fruitful Kingdom.' As this enforced the 

 trade with the English colony of Virginia alone, it was soon 

 found that Spanish and Portuguese tobacco might be brought 

 into port on the payment of the old duty of twopence a 

 pound ; thus a large trade was carried on with their planters 

 to the injury of the British colonists. 



" Its use increased in spite of all legislative laws and 

 enactments and James ended by prohibiting any person from 

 dealing in the article who did not hold his letters patent. 

 By this means the trade was monopolized, the consumers 

 oppressed, importation diminished, and the London Company 

 of Virginia traders ultimately ruined. Those who are fond 

 of excusing the evil acts of one of the worst of English 

 Kings, pretend to see James' care for his subjects' health and 

 wealth in these restrictions, totally regardless of the fact 

 that James cared for neither when the monopoly brought 

 large sums into his own pocket." 



In 1632 Charles I. granted to Sir George Calvert (who 

 about this time was made Lord Baltimore) the territory now 

 known as Maryland ; soon after receiving the grant he died, 

 when his son took the grant in his own name. The next 

 year he sailed from England with two hundred persons and 

 settled in his new possessions. The colony from the first, 

 prospered far better than the colony of Virginia and soon 

 laid the foundation of a strong and substantial government. 

 Like the Virginians they soon engaged in the cultivation of 

 tobacco which seemed as well adapted to the soil as the 

 other products, corn and English wheat. The Indians were 

 found here as in the Plantation of Virginia planting tobacco 

 5 



