Who founded Maryland?

Maryland was founded in 1629 by George Calvert, also known as Lord Baltimore. He died in 1632 before the charter for the colony made Maryland official. Various first names of Calvert's family served as names of settlements.

Calvert was motivated by a desire for profit and a desire to create a refuge for Roman Catholics, who were still being persecuted in modern-day Protestant England. Maryland even eventually became known as a "haven for Catholics." Tobacco was a cash crop in Maryland, just like it was in many other colonies at the time. Interestingly, Maryland was originally a part of Virginia before gaining its charter in 1632.