Until 1649 Catholics in Maryland practiced their religion freely even playing a dominant role in the government of the colony. But the religious wars that overtook England after James II was deposed were mirrored again and again in Colonial America. By 1704 Catholicism was outlawed until Queen Anne allowed worship in private homes. By 1715 Catholics had lost all power, were excluded from public office and deprived of the vote.

After over a century, tobacco had exhausted the soil. Suitable Maryland farmland in older parts of the colony, especially in the south where Catholics were concentrated, became increasingly scarce as the population multiplied. It is ironic that the American Revolution, which ended religious persecution and opened fresh opportunities, coincided with an acute shortage of land. Within that window, patriots were offered land in the west instead of a pension.