Biographical Library
Explore a collection of biographical profiles that examine the diverse lives, experiences, and contributions of the various individuals and groups who shaped the history of colonial Maryland.
Liberty of Conscience: The Founding of Maryland
Liberty of Conscience: The Founding of Maryland explores the history of religious tolerance in Maryland, which made it unique among the colonies and laid a cornerstone upon which the United States was founded.
Bring colonial Maryland's history to life in your upper elementary and middle school classrooms with this easy-to-use resource collection. These media-rich materials make complex history accessible and engaging, featuring primary sources, documentary clips and interactive student lessons aligned with your 4th- and 7th-grade curriculum. Find all these resources and more, and start exploring the story of Maryland’s founding in your classroom today!
Classroom Resources
Self-paced Student Lessons
Analyze the colonization of Jamestown and St. Mary’s City while exploring how Indigenous nations navigated challenges to maintain their sovereignty and cultural identity.
Tour the Growing Colony
Explore the colonial capital of Maryland as it appeared in 1685. Through this interactive map based on archaeological research, discover how civic, religious, and economic life shaped history.
Living in an Algonkian Village
Through this interactive, students analyze primary source imagery to learn about life in a pre-colonial Algonkian village, including daily traditions, culture, and connections to the environment.
The Great Shellfish Bay
Students will analyze the colonization of Jamestown and St. Mary’s City, examining how Indigenous nations navigated challenges to maintain their sovereignty and cultural identity.
Chesapeake Crosscurrents
Guided by historical primary sources and engaging video clips, this interactive timeline follows the story of Maryland, charting its evolution from Indigenous territory to English colony.
» Go to the Interactive Timeline
Educator Resources
Lesson Starters
Examine how geography shaped the experiences of Indigenous communities, early settlers, and enslaved people in colonial Maryland through these inquiry-based lesson starters.
Support Materials
Find teaching guides, implementation strategies, vocabulary lists, and printable graphic organizers to help your students investigate the complex and unique founding story of colonial Maryland.
Professional Learning Module
Expand your knowledge of colonial Maryland history as you examine multiple perspectives to better understand Maryland's past and design classroom-ready inquiry lessons.
» Go to the Module (opens in a new tab)