Final answer:
The correct answer is option c) English settlers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The English settlers who founded Maryland were part of a religious group seeking a new place where they could practice their faith freely. The original founder, George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, envisioned Maryland as a haven for Catholics to escape persecution from England. After George Calvert's death, his son Cecilius Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore, inherited the charter and established Maryland in 1634.
Led by Governor Leonard Calvert, the colony was indeed a place of religious freedom where both Catholics and Protestants coexisted, distinct from Pilgrims and Puritans in New England. The charter granted by King Charles I named the colony Maryland in honor of Henrietta Marie, his wife.
Answering the specific multiple-choice question, the correct answer to 'Who originally founded Maryland?' is (c) English settlers.