Maryland Toleration Act facts for kids

The Maryland Toleration Act was a special law made in 1649 in the American colony of Maryland. This law was created to protect Christians from being treated unfairly or getting into fights because of their beliefs. It was especially important for Catholics and Protestants, who often faced problems with each other at that time. This act was a big step towards allowing people to practice their religion freely in the American colonies.

What Was the Maryland Toleration Act?

The Maryland Toleration Act was a rule that said no Christian in Maryland should be bothered or punished for believing in Jesus Christ. It meant that people who followed different Christian faiths, like Catholics and Protestants, should be able to live together peacefully. This law was one of the first of its kind in the American colonies to try and guarantee some level of religious freedom.

Why Was This Law Needed?

In the 1600s, when the American colonies were just starting, there was often a lot of conflict about religion. In England, the main country that owned these colonies, the official religion was Protestant. Catholics were often treated badly and sometimes even punished for their faith.

Religious Differences in England

For many years, England had seen serious disagreements and even wars between Protestants and Catholics. These groups had different ideas about how to worship and how the church should be run. When people started moving to the new colonies in America, they brought these religious differences with them.

Maryland: A Safe Place?

The colony of Maryland was founded by a Catholic family, the Calverts. They wanted Maryland to be a place where Catholics could live safely and practice their religion without fear. However, many Protestants also moved to Maryland. As more Protestants arrived, there was a worry that they might try to take away the rights of Catholics, just like what happened in England. The Toleration Act was passed to try and prevent this from happening and to keep peace between the different Christian groups.

Who Was Behind the Act?

The Maryland Toleration Act was passed by the colonial assembly, which was like a local government for the colony. The leader of Maryland at the time was Cecil Calvert, also known as the second Lord Baltimore. He was a Catholic and wanted to make sure that his colony was a place of religious peace. He worked to create this law to protect both Catholics and Protestants living in Maryland.

What Happened Next?

Even with the Toleration Act, religious peace in Maryland didn't last forever. Years later, during a time of political change in England, a man named William Claiborne took control of Maryland for a short period. He was a Protestant and removed the Toleration Act. This shows that even after the law was passed, the idea of religious freedom was still new and sometimes fragile. However, the Maryland Toleration Act remains an important part of history because it was an early attempt to protect religious rights in America.

Images for kids

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  Cecil Calvert, the leader of the Maryland colony when the Maryland Toleration Act was passed

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  William Claiborne, who removed the Toleration Act when he took over the colony for a short time