The Calvert County Slaves and the War of 1812. During the War of 1812, British ships sailed the waters surrounding Calvert County and troops invaded the land destroying or seizing property. British Admiral Alexander Cochrane issued a proclamation promising freedom and relocation to the enslaved people. Those who left Calvert County were taken to Nova Scotia, Canada, or Caribbean islands.
The War officially ended in 1815 with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. Hostilities ceased and the British agreed to pay reparations for the damaged property and escaped slaves. Official lists were provided and used by Americans as proof of loss. Between 1821 – 1828, sixty-nine property owners in Calvert County made claims for 273 escaped slaves. Affidavits were submitted to John Quincy Adams, the Secretary of State under President James Monroe.
The original handwritten claims are housed at the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland. (RG 76, Case Files Ca. 1814-28). The Maryland State Archives has scanned these records and posted them on their website under the “Legacy of Slavery in Maryland”. (http://slavery.msa.maryland.gov/ ).
On the Bayside website at Bayside History Museum – Home
