Cecilius Calvert, also known as the 2nd Baron Baltimore, was an English nobleman born in 1605. He is best known for founding the colony of Maryland in North America. Calvert received a charter from King Charles I in 1632, which granted him the authority to establish a colony as a refuge for Catholics facing persecution in England. As the proprietor of Maryland, Calvert aimed to create a place where religious freedom was prioritized. He implemented the Maryland Toleration Act in 1649, which allowed for the practice of various Christian denominations, making it one of the first laws of its kind in the American colonies.