On November 22nd, 1633, intrepid travelers sailed from the English Isle of Wight on two small ships, the Ark and the Dove, for a four-month long journey that would eventually land them on St. Clement’s Island in what is now St. Mary’s County, Maryland.
They became the first English settlers to set foot on Maryland soil on March 25th, 1634. This date has been formally observed as Maryland Day since 1903, and was made a legal holiday by the Maryland General Assembly in 1916.
Interested in learning more about the settlers of the original 13 colonies? Check out Langsdale Library’s archival collection of the Order of the Founders &Patriots (OFB), a male lineage society established in 1896. Just be sure to contact University Archivist Ben Blake (bblake@ubalt.edu) in advance – written permission from the donor society may be required.