Maryland in the Seventeenth Century

Abstract

The colonization of Maryland and Virginia during the seventeenth century has been the focus of intensive historical and archaeological study, particularly since the early 1970s. Studies of demographics and the distribution of wealth have been particularly prominent (e.g., Tate and Ammerman, 1979). This chapter reviews and synthesizes some of this material, particularly that which pertains most directly to a household’s ability to produce wealth. A brief historical overview sets up more detailed discussions of population growth and the distribution of wealth.