maryland toleration act allowed maryland colonists to have freedom of religion.
maryland toleration act allowed maryland colonists to have freedom of religion.
allowed maryland colonists to have freedom of religion?
maryland toleration act
freedom of religion was first applied as a principle of government in the founding of the colony of maryland, founded by the catholic lord baltimore, in 1634. fifteen years later (1649), the maryland toleration act, drafted by lord baltimore, provided: "no person or persons...shall from henceforth be any waies troubled, molested or discountenanced for or in respect of his or her religion nor in the free exercise thereof." the act allowed freedom of worship for all trinitarian christians in maryland, but sentenced to death anyone who denied the divinity of jesus. the maryland toleration act was repealed during the cromwellian era with the assistance of protestant assemblymen and a new law barring catholics from openly practicing their religion was passed. in 1657, the catholic lord baltimore regained control after making a deal with the colony's protestants, and in 1658 the act was again passed by the colonial assembly. this time, it would last more than thirty years, until 1692 when, after maryland's protestant revolution of 1689, freedom of religion was again rescinded. in addition, in 1704, an act was passed "to prevent the growth of popery in this province", preventing catholics from holding political office. full religious toleration would not be restored in maryland until the american revolution, when maryland's charles carroll of carrollton signed the american declaration of independence.
freedom of religion
in 1854 maryland colony declared its independence from the maryland state colonization society but did not become part of the republic of liberia. it held the land along the coast between the grand cess and san pedro rivers. in 1856, the independent state of maryland (africa) requested military aid from liberia in a war with the grebo and kru peoples. the latter were resisting the maryland colonists' efforts to control their trade in slaves and other goods. roberts assisted the maryland colony, and a joint military campaign by the two groups of african-american colonists resulted in victory. in 1857, the republic of maryland joined liberia as maryland county.
joseph jenkins roberts