Levin Frazier, a farmer from Dorchester County, illustrates the possibilities of success for the veterans who chose to remain in Maryland after the war. He was born a poor man in his home county, and it is unlikely that he owned any property of value before the war began. Enlisting at twenty-two, he fought in the Revolution for several years before being discharged and returning to his home on the Eastern Shore. His decision to stay in Maryland was likely facilitated by the fact that he had married and had a child during a furlough from his service; he had no property to return to. Frazier worked as a farmer for years before being able to patent a land claim, but this plot and additional inherited land helped to substantially improve his position. He underwent a drastic transformation over his lifetime; he owned little to nothing before the war, but, at the time of his death, Frazier was one of the wealthiest men in his community.

Frazier likely remained in Maryland because of his familial ties, but he was still driven by social and economic factors. He owned nothing of value before the war, and it took him over a decade to acquire any land at all. Despite these struggles, he was able to accumulate a significant landholding and have success as a farmer. This success gave Frazier a significant place in society as well as economic prosperity, and he died as one of the most successful men in his community.

Read more about Levin Frazier here.

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