FCC Research Guides: Land Acknowledgement @ FCC: Maryland Treaties

About the Maryland Treaties

There were several treaties and agreements made between the colonial government of Maryland and the indigenous tribes that inhabited the region. These treaties covered a variety of topics, including land rights, trade, and military alliances.
It is worth noting that many Maryland treaties were not recorded or documented in a systematic manner, and much of what is known about them comes from colonial records and accounts, which can be incomplete or biased.
The following list is not comprehensive. If you are looking for information about specific treaties or agreements between the Maryland government and indigenous tribes, start by consulting MAYIS, from the Maryland State Archives (OpenAI).

Selected Maryland Treaties

1652 - The Susquehannocks ceded lands from the Patuxent River on the western side of the bay to the Choptank River on the eastern side (Scharff, History of MD 1:35-36); (Cissna 149, Jennings 25, Kent 38, AoM 3:276-278).
1661 - The Susquehannocks strengthened their treaty and military alliance with Maryland. (Flick 15, Cissna 151, Kent 39, AoM 3:417)
1661 - The Treaty at Appoquinimi (now Appoquinimink) was signed on Sept. 19, 1661. Both sides stated grievances then peace was signed by Pinna, King of the Picthanomicta of the Passagonke and the Governor Calvert, his secretary Henry Coursey and John Batemen in what is now Philadelphia (Scharff, HoMD 1:36, AoM 3:431).
1663 - Governor Calvert and three councilors made a treaty with three kings of the Delaware Indians at New Amstel (AoM 3:486).
1666 - A treaty made with Susquehannocks to deliver the “king of the Patawomeke" and his two sons to the English (Cissna 155, Kent 42, AoM 3:549-550).
1666 - A separate treaty made with all tribes of Piscataway Confederacy; treaty formally subjected Piscataway to English authority and set aside a reservation for them (Flick 17, Cissna 159-162, AoM 2:25). The treaty did not cede any Piscataway land to colonial government. Any bands or tribes that didn’t sign treaty would be considered enemies of the colony (Rico Newman [tribal elder] interview).
1682 - The Maryland Assembly negotiated a treaty with the Seneca / Iroquois to end “Indian wars” in Maryland (Curry 2, AoM 17:98-120). The peace made between Iroquois and Piscataway brought the Piscataway and other MD Indigenous peoples into the Iroquois covenant chain (Flick 37).
1685 - At a conference held at the house of Colonel George Wells in Baltimore County between representatives of the Province of Maryland and the Senecas. The Senecas promised to maintain peace with the Piscataway and were prepared to forgive alleged injuries sustained by them (Marye, "Patowmeck Above Ye Inhabitants," 6, AoM 17: 363-369).
1700 - The governor of Maryland stated his desire for indigenous peoples to assimilate (AoM 25:85). Cissna observes that the offspring of native and white were considered “free mulatto,” a practice that would lead to indigenous erasure (Cissna 208). On the day after this proclamation, treaties were signed with the Piscataway and Pamunkey, included relocation of Piscataway to Pamunkey (AoM 25:86-90).
1719 - The governor of Maryland made a treaty of peace with the Tuscaroras (Marye, "Patowmeck Above Ye Inhabitants," 125, AoM 33:323, 400, 489).
1722 - A treaty between Maryland and Assateague and Pocomoke Nations (AoM 3:431-433).
1744 - Per the Treaty of Lancaster, the Iroquios state that they were employed by Maryland to defeat the Susquehannocks (Scharf, History of Western MD 1:51).

Works Cited