ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. (Jan. 23, 2009)—The Center for the Study of Democracy at St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM) will host the 2009 Chaney Visiting Scholar, Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, author of Maryland Designe: The First Wall Between Church and State. The lecture will be held in Daugherty Palmer Commons on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 4:30 p.m., and will address the politics surrounding Maryland's attempt to establish civil government in the 17th century. Jackson is a retired judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and is a member of the SMCM Board of Trustees and the Advisory Board for the Center for the Study of Democracy. This lecture is free and open to the public.
"Judge Jackson explores the political motivations of George Calvert's 'Maryland Designe' and its connection to the religious tensions in English politics during the 17th century," said Michael Cain, director of the Center for the Study of Democracy and Chair for the political science department at SMCM. "Jackson's essay shows how Maryland's early attempt to establish religious toleration in the New World was deeply connected to English politics beginning with the rule of King James I. The reverberations of English politics continued to shape the Maryland colony throughout the century, while ultimately contributing to the demise of Maryland's experiment in secular civil society in 1692."
The Center for the Study of Democracy is a joint initiative of St. Mary's College of Maryland and its affiliated institution, Historic St. Mary's City. It explores contemporary and historical issues associated with democracy and liberty in national and international contexts. The center provides a forum for presentations by government officials, journalists and scholars; publishes scholarly writing on subjects of civil governance; encourages and supports public participation in political processes; and engages undergraduate studies in study and research on related subjects.