Fear of War, People of Peace

Fear of War, People of Peace. . When Maryland's first Settlers arrived in 1634 they expected to encounter trouble, both from local American Indians and from rival English Colonists across the Potomac River in Virginia., To assure a place of safety they built a fort at St. Mary's City armed with cannons sent by Lord Baltimore on the Ark. Archaeologists have not yet pinpointed the location of the fort, but his iron cannon may have been used there. It was discovered under the water of the St. Mary's River in 1824., Although there were periodic conflicts with Virginians, the Yaocomaco Indians generously welcomed the settlers in 1634. The fort never needed as a place of refuge or defense against Indian raids., “… we have seated ourselves, within one half mile of the river, with a palizado of one hundred and twenty yarde square with foure flankes, we have mounted one peece of ordinance … a fortification (we think) sufficient to defend against any such weake enemies we have reason to expect here.” , Leonard Calvert, May 30 1634