Cecil Calvert’s father, George, was granted control of the new colony that was created by splitting Virginia, Maryland, by King Charles I in 1632. This was done as a reward for the Catholic Noblemen’s service to the crown. Unfortunately, George died shortly thereafter so it was passed on to Cecil. Cecil Calvert began implementing his father’s plan in 1634. He called for the Passing of the Toleration Acts in 1649. So what? Cecil Calvert’s work is important because he ran Maryland which was the first English proprietary colony in the New World. His work is also important because his colony was the first to pass laws to protect one’s religious freedom, particularly Catholics, which is ironic because the colony was mean to be a haven for Catholics
