Alsop, George

About the author

George Alsop (born circa 1638) was an English adventurer, indentured servant, and social commentator best known for his lively and somewhat eccentric text A Character of the Province of Maryland, published in 1666. This treatise—part personal memoir, part colonial booster—offers a rare glimpse into the early years of Maryland’s settlement, capturing how European newcomers interacted with the land and its Indigenous peoples. While Alsop’s flair for dramatization can blur strict factual accuracy, his account stands out among colonial-era writings for its blend of humorous anecdotes, first-hand observations, and an unabashedly promotional zeal aimed at encouraging further migration.

Alsop arrived in the Province of Maryland as an indentured servant, motivated by the possibility of eventual freedom and land acquisition—a familiar aspiration among the socially and economically marginalized in Restoration England. Once settled, he recorded local conditions with a curious mixture of wonder and braggadocio, praising the region’s natural abundance, moderate climate, and perceived opportunities for prosperity. He described prolific tobacco crops, the adaptability of farmland, and scenic Chesapeake waterways, while also alluding to hardships like disease outbreaks and a social hierarchy that privileged established planters. Despite these challenges, he insisted that with perseverance, even those from modest backgrounds could carve out a prosperous life—an assertion typical of colonial marketing narratives.

One of the more intriguing sections of Alsop’s manuscript involves his “small Treatise on the Wild and Naked Indians (or Susquehanokes),” referencing the Indigenous communities he encountered. Although tinted with the biases of a 17th-century Englishman, his notes offer glimpses of tribal customs, language, and trade relations. He documented local religious practices and societal structures with a mix of fascination and misconceptions, reflecting broader colonial attitudes that hovered between admiration for the so-called “noble savage” and dismissive paternalism. Modern historians scrutinize his observations to glean partial details of Susquehannock life, mindful of the biases embedded in his descriptions.

In style, A Character of the Province of Maryland employs comedic exaggerations and rhetorical flourishes, reflecting Alsop’s attempt to captivate English readers. His enthusiastic endorsement of an emigrant’s chances in Maryland—a land of freedom for those who served their indentures—is sprinkled with wry remarks about lazy neighbors, curious local wildlife, and the mishaps of frontier living. Beyond entertainment, these passages provide anthropological insight into cross-cultural tensions and the nascent socioeconomic structures shaping early colonial society. As a result, while critics might question Alsop’s reliability as an objective narrator, his playful approach grants modern readers a valuable window into how ordinary adventurers perceived the New World’s uncharted prospects.

Over time, George Alsop’s name receded into the margins of colonial historiography, eclipsed by more formally documented figures or statesmen. Yet his exuberant text remains a noteworthy artifact: a spirited 17th-century voice that interweaves comedic bombast, promotional zeal, and genuine curiosity. It underscores how everyday colonists, not merely governors or prominent landowners, shaped the evolving identity of early American settlements through both pragmatic labor and irrepressible storytelling.