Stagnation St._Mary's_City,_Maryland

1 stagnation

1.1 1660s: problems in tobacco economy
1.2 1676: original brick maryland statehouse constructed
1.3 1678: first printing house in southern colonies opens in st. mary s city

stagnation
1660s: problems in tobacco economy

in 1660s tobacco, had long been lucrative boom crop, began experience price declines. due increased production , competition in other colonies. problem aggravated maryland planters cutting tobacco product other leaves in order make decrease in price of tobacco barrel. although helpful in short run, in longer run cutting practice hurt reputation of maryland tobacco in england , further devalued yearly tobacco crops. of began, in stages, have destabilizing effect on maryland colony, further aggravated latent religious tensions between majority protestant planters , catholic aristocratic leadership.

all of further intensified reliance on slavery in st. mary s city, plantation owners sought eliminate cost of paid labor in producing tobacco.

1676: original brick maryland statehouse constructed

in 1676, original maryland statehouse, home of maryland colonial assembly, finished. reconstructed maryland statehouse stands on site today.

1678: first printing house in southern colonies opens in st. mary s city

working reproduction of william nuthead printing press, used in first printing house in southern colonies. functional printing press located in historic st. mary s city living history area.

photo j. pitts, courtesy of southern maryland heritage area consortium.

moving st. mary s city in 1678, william , dinah nuthead became first printers in maryland. while dinah nuthead illiterate, husband in operating printing press. copying letters , processes of husband, dinah able continue printing business following husband s death in 1695. after gaining license print colonial government, dinah became first female printer in colony. when dinah moved annapolis, maryland in 1695, able continue printing business in new location.