Captain Henry Fleet, William Claiborne, a Virginian, and Lord Baltimore and his brother were chief among those who were making history in this region at that time.
Claiborne and a number of Virginians had established a colony on Kent Island under a charter secured before Lord Baltimore had settled his colony on the north side of the Potomac in a region that he called Maryland.
When Lord Baltimore was granted a charter to settle in this area, his charter included Kent Island. The charter, however, had said that he should have authority only over uninhabited lands.
Claiborne considered that Kent Island was inhabited and was not, therefore, a part of Maryland.
In 1634, the second Lord Baltimore sent about one hundred settlers, under the leadership of his brother, Leonard Calvert, to a point of land across the Potomac from the Northern Neck, and a settlement was established there, known as the "Citie of St. Mary's."
A year after this colony had been planted the settlers were instructed by their Governor, Leonard Calvert, to seize Kent Island.
Claiborne appealed to the Crown but the decision was in favor of Lord Baltimore's claim.
