From Fife to the Chesapeake: Scottish Immigrants and the Development of Public Landscapes in Early Eighteenth Century Maryland.

Summary

Ninian Beall was captured at the Battle of Dunbar in 1650 along with many of his countrymen and sent to Maryland as an indentured servant.  Beall’s arrival marks an important milestone in the settlement of the Chesapeake region.  Beall sponsored the transport of many Scottish immigrants who settled along the banks of the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers.  Some of these individuals became powerful local politicians, slave owners, and active participants in trade with Native Americans living in the region.  Beall and James Stoddert were particularly important to the development of Prince George’s County, Maryland during the early eighteenth century.  Archaeological and historical data from the seventeenth century village of Charles Town will be used to show how the actions of these two individuals furthered the development of public institutions while contributing to the tensions between Native Americans, African Americans, and Europeans living in the region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Obscured by Clouds: Landscapes in Historical Archaeology   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 310