ABSTRACT

The cultural landscape of Maryland has evolved over the last three centuries during four historical phases of development: colonization—seventeenth century, agrarian development—eighteenth century, early industrial period—nine-teenth century, and mid-industrial period—nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Cecilius Calvert, Lord Baltimore, had a vision of a feudal settlement system for the Maryland colony. The territorial expulsion, or physical elimination, of the Indians in Maryland seems to have followed the same general pattern as the removal of Indians in the other coastal colonies. Throughout the eighteenth century the basically rural-agricultural Maryland landscape developed into a more complex socioeconomic system. During the nineteenth century a number of basic structural changes, part of a national process, occurred on the Maryland landscape. By 1910, Maryland had nearly doubled its 1860 population, and the majority of Marylanders lived in towns and cities of 2,500 or more. The legacy of Maryland's past geography is present in the distinct and diverse, yet connected, regions of the state.