Maryland: Polity Style: 1634-1776

20/30 Jun 1632	Cecil Calvert, Baron of Baltimore, is granted a portion of territory in North America, erected into a province under the name of Maryland, to be governed by him and his heirs as true and absolute lords and proprietaries, in accordance with letters patent (charter) issued by command of the King of England on 20/30 Jun 1632 (Bacon's Laws of Maryland, The Charter of the Province of Maryland, n.p.; Archives of Maryland, 3:1-12)
25 Mar/4 Apr 1634	the province of Maryland is established on the arrival of first settlers as recorded in the diary of Rev. Andrew White (Narratives of Early Maryland, p. 40)
25 Mar/4 Apr 1634 - 8 Nov 1776	Province of Maryland
6/16 Apr 1692	due to "great neglects and miscarriages in the Government", the Province of Maryland is placed under "immediate Care" of the King and Queen of England and under the administration of a Governor and Council in accordance with a commission of 27 Jun/7 Jul 1691, which was read and published at a meeting of the Council held in St. Mary's City on 6/16 Apr 1692 (Archives of Maryland, 8:263, 8:305)
27 Dec 1715/7 Jan 1716	a public proclamation of the restoration of the Proprietary of Maryland to the government of the province is advised by the Council at its meeting held in Annapolis on 27 Dec 1715/7 Jan 1716 (Archives of Maryland, 25:322-326) [1]
4 Jul 1776	the British colonies represented in the Continental Congress are proclaimed free and independent states in accordance with a declaration approved at the session of the Congress held on 4 Jul 1776 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Continental Congress Journals, 5:510-515)
6 Jul 1776	a declaration relieving the people of Maryland from allegiance to the King of Great Britain and empowering the province's delegates in the Continental Congress to vote for the independence of the united colonies is approved by the Convention held in Annapolis on 6 Jul 1776 (Maryland Gazette, No. 1609, 11 Jul 1776, p. 3; Archives of Maryland, 78:201-203) [2]
8 Nov 1776	the Constitution and Form of Government is adopted by the Convention held in Annapolis on 8 Nov 1776 (Archives of Maryland, 78:349)

As the holder of a royal commission, Governor Hart hesitated to read and publish his commission from the Proprietary until he received instructions from the Crown. Upon receiving a letter from the Guardian to the Proprietary, informing him that his reappointment under the proprietary commission had been approved by the King, the Governor sought the advice of the Council, which opined that the Governor should surrender the government to the Proprietary and accept his commission. It further advised that a public proclamation be held on 28 Dec 1715/8 Jan 1716; it was likely carried out, though no documentary record confirms this.
A resolution empowering the delegates of Maryland in the Continental Congress to vote for independence was passed by the Convention on 28 Jun 1776 and delivered to Congress on 1 Jul 1776. Unaware of the outcome of the vote in Congress, the Convention adopted a declaration on 6 Jul 1776 reiterating the authority of its delegates to support independence.