Maryland Toleration Act

Timeline

1. 1648–1649Province of Maryland · MarylandAmid the spillover of the Civil War and the growth of the colony's Protestant population, the Catholic-controlled Baltimore family faced the risk of religious persecution. Catholic and Protestant members of the assembly jointly pushed legislation to constrain religious coercion by statute, maintaining colonial social stability and the Baltimore family's rule.
2. 1649St Mary's City · MarylandThe assembly formally passed the act, declaring that no person should be harassed, punished, or deprived of rights for their religious belief, but limiting protection to Christians who acknowledged Jesus Christ as savior. The law remained in effect in the colony until repealed in 1654, later restored and amended several times, becoming an important reference in the history of religious freedom in America.