George Calvert, also known as Lord Baltimore, was an English politician and colonizer born in 1580. He is best known for founding the colony of Maryland in North America as a refuge for English Catholics facing persecution. Calvert was granted a charter by King Charles I in 1632, allowing him to establish the colony. Calvert's vision for Maryland included religious tolerance and a government that respected the rights of its citizens. He passed away in 1632, before the colony was fully established, but his legacy continued through his son, Cecilius Calvert, who took over the leadership of the colony.