History of Maryland

The history of Maryland could be said to have begun circa 10,000 BC, when the first people arrived in what would later become the U.S. State of Maryland. Native Americans were the sole inhabitants of the area for thousands of years until Europeans, starting with John Cabot in 1498, began exploring the area. However, it wasn't until the 1600s that Europeans began settling the area, and not until 1632 that the colony itself was founded and named.

Pre-Columbian history

See also Pre-Colonial America

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It appears that the first humans to arrive in the area that would become Maryland appeared around the 10th millennium BC, about the time that the last ice age ended. They were hunter-gatherers organized into semi-nomadic bands. They adapted as the region's environment changed, developing the spear for hunting as smaller animals, like deer, became more prevalent and by about 1,500 B.C. Oysters had became an important food resource in the region.

Related Topics:
10th millennium BC - Ice age - Hunter-gatherer - Deer

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With the increased variety of food sources, Native American villages and settlements started appearing and their social structures increased in complexity. By about 1,000 B.C. pottery was being produced. With the eventual rise of agriculture more permanent Native-American villages were built. But even with the advent of farming, hunting and fishing were still major sources of food. The bow and arrow were first used for hunting in the area around the year 800.

Related Topics:
Native American - Agriculture - Bow and arrow - 800

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Europeans did not encounter Maryland's indigenous people until the early 1600s. At that time, the main tribes in the state spoke Algonquian languages. These tribes included the Nanticoke on the Eastern Shore, and the Accohannock and Powhatan on the Western shore. Within about a century of first contact, the state's Native Americans were all but gone, having been pushed out by the European settlers. The Shawnee were the last major tribe in the state, and they left Western Maryland in the 1740s.

Related Topics:
1600s - Algonquian - Nanticoke - Eastern Shore - Accohannock - Powhatan - Shawnee - 1740s

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