The Choptank (or Ababco) were an Algonquian-speaking Native American people that historically lived on the

Eastern Shore of Maryland The Eastern Shore of Maryland is a part of the U.S. state of Maryland that lies mostly on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay. Nine counties are normally included in the region. The Eastern Shore is part of the larger Delmarva Peninsula tha ...

on the

Delmarva Peninsula The Delmarva Peninsula, or simply Delmarva, is a large peninsula and proposed state on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by the vast majority of the state of Delaware and parts of the Eastern Shore regions of Maryland and Virginia. ...

. They occupied an area along the lower Choptank River basin, which included parts of present-day Talbot, Dorchester and

Caroline Caroline may refer to: People * Caroline (given name), a feminine given name * J. C. Caroline (born 1933), American college and National Football League player * Jordan Caroline (born 1996), American (men's) basketball player Places Antarctica * ...

counties. They spoke Nanticoke, an Eastern Algonquian language closely related to

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacen ...

. The Choptank were the only Indians on the Eastern Shore to be granted a reservation in fee simple by the English colonial government. They retained the land until 1822, when the state of Maryland sold it, in part to pay for the state's share of the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

History

The name Choptank is thought to be from the Nanticoke word ''tshapetank:'' a stream that separates, or place of big current. The Algonquian-speaking Choptank were independent, but they were related in culture and language to the Nanticoke, the larger paramount

chiefdom A chiefdom is a form of hierarchical political organization in non-industrial societies usually based on kinship, and in which formal leadership is monopolized by the legitimate senior members of select families or 'houses'. These elites form a ...

immediately to their south, which was dominant on the Eastern Shore. After the arrival of English colonists, the tribes' histories took different paths. The Choptank maintained good relations with the European settlers. Eventually they were assimilated into the mainstream society through intermarriage. Like many other small tribes, they ceased to exist as a separate entity, although their descendants survive. The only Indian reservation which the English established in fee simple on the Eastern Shore was the Choptank Indian Reservation in 1669. The territory included what later became the city of

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge beca ...

, the county seat of Dorchester County. The last town in Dorchester County occupied by the Choptank was Locust Neck Indian Town, which they left about 1790. In 1822, the state of Maryland sold the land of the reservation for development. The state used some of the proceeds to pay its share of contribution to the formation of the District of Columbia The U.S. Navy

tugboat A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, su ...

''Choptank'' was named after the tribe. It served from 1918 until 1946. The towns of Choptank, Maryland, and Choptank Mills, Delaware,Placenames - Choptank Mills, Kent County, Delaware, U.S.A.
are named after the river. Fictional members of the tribe are characters in the early chapters of James Michener's 1978 novel, ''

Chesapeake Chesapeake often refers to: * Chesapeake people, a Native American tribe also known as the Chesepian * The Chesapeake, a.k.a. Chesapeake Bay * Delmarva Peninsula, also known as the Chesapeake Peninsula Chesapeake may also refer to: Populated p ...

''.

References

{{authority control Eastern Algonquian peoples Extinct Native American tribes Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands Nanticoke tribe Native American history of Maryland Native American tribes in Maryland Lenape Algonquian ethnonyms

History

See also

References