PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Jan. 26, 1643, marked a historic date in the early years of Maryland, as this was the day Gov. Leonard Calvert declared peace with the Nanticoke people, a local group of Native Americans. This peace may have saved countless lives on both sides, making it an important event for Maryland as a whole.
The Nanticoke are a truly fascinating people, having developed farms and tools for use in their day-to-day lives before the Europeans arrived. The BayNet is going to offer a glimpse into the essential 1643 event and how Europeans first made contact with this historic tribe of Native Americans.
What Happened On Jan. 26, 1643?
The Nanticoke people called the area surrounding the Chesapeake Bay their home in the 1600s, though many of their descendants currently live in other states like Oklahoma or New Jersey. This tribe farmed plants like corn, and they also hunted land mammals, as well as sea creatures.
Captain John Smith first contacted the Nanticoke people in 1608, and though their first meetings were turbulent, the warning exchange of arrows and musket fire was quickly extinguished when Smith and the Nanticoke tribe established a trade of goods. In fact, the Nanticoke even helped guide the Europeans through the local area.
Though the first interactions between the Nanticoke people and Europeans were mostly friendly, the peace didn’t last. The Nanticoke people, along with the Wicomisses and Susquehannocks, were declared enemies in September 1642. The result was fighting between the Marylanders and Native American tribes, though it wasn’t concluded through a few mere battles.
Four months after the original declaration, on Jan. 26, 1643, Maryland Gov. Leonard Calvert proclaimed peace with the Nanticoke people. The peace was unstable and would be abolished and reestablished multiple times, but it was an important step in the process of establishing a mutual understanding between the colonies and the Native American tribes in Maryland.
Where Do Descendants of the Nanticoke People Live Today?
Today, descendants of the Nanticoke people primarily live in Delaware, Oklahoma, and New Jersey. There are also some people with Nanticoke ancestry who live in Ontario, Canada.
More information is available at nanticokeindians.org and the Maryland State Archives at msa.maryland.gov.
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