How did Maryland become part of the US?

In 1629 George Calvert, 1st Lord of Baltimore applied to King Charles I to start a colony in the new world that could be a haven for Catholics. A charter was granted in 1632 to George's son Cecil. Cecil, however, had no desire to go to his new colony so his younger brother Leonard was sent to settle the new Province of Maryland.

During the American Revolution, Maryland was one of the original 13 colonies to fight against the crown for American Independence. On 2 February 1781 Maryland became the 13th state to ratify the Articles of Confederation, effectively making it part of the new sovereign United States of America. Later, Maryland became the seventh state to ratify the U.S. Constitution and gained admittance to the new Union.