Maryland: George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore founded the colony to provide religious freedom to Catholics. When the first Lord Baltimore died in 1632, King Charles I of England gave his son Cecilius a charter that allowed him to settle in land that was east of the Potomac River. The colony was established so England could take a portion of the income made in the colony. Before they were able to form a settlement. Cecilius was determined to provide a safe refuge for Roman Catholics who were persecuted for their refusal to be a part of the Church of England. In 1634, Calvert's brother and hundreds of other immigrants settled near the Potomac River and created a town called St. Mary's. Living conditions improved in Maryland when the Native Americans that lived in nearby regions helped them obtain the food and shelter that they need to survive. Even though Maryland promised religious freedom to Catholics, there was a growing population of Puritans who tried to withdraw these freedoms. William Stone, who was the governor of Maryland, decided to help ensure the Catholics their freedom promised to them when the colony was founded by passing the Toleration Act in 1649. The Toleration Act promised all Christians the same religious liberties. However, this Toleration Act would eventually fail after the Puritans gain political influence in the colony. The revoking of this act would lead to conflict between the Catholics and Puritans leading to a civil war. The Lord Baltimore lost ownership of the colony in 1655 at the end of the civil war. The Calverts would eventually regain authority over Maryland but Puritans would continue to threaten Catholics peoples' freedoms for a long time. The economy of Maryland would thrive largely based off of tobacco. However, the tobacco crop rapidly depleted the quality of the soil, and acreage demands for higher produce would cause large tracts of land to be used for tobacco production. As the number of indentured servants decreased, colonists turned to cheap African labor. Overtime, their freedoms diminished until laws were passed that made African Americans slaves for life. Plantations generally were by rivers or creeks which allowed ships to purchase the crop more easily.