What does the act of toleration say about the settlement of Maryland? How were non christians treated???

Question

What does the act of toleration say about the settlement of Maryland? How were non christians treated???

Answer 1

1.  The Act was one of the pioneer statutes passed by the legislative body of an organized colonial government to guarantee any degree of religious liberty. Since Maryland was settled by both Protestants and Catholics, it was a common sense move to propose that a law be enacted that would protect both. Cecil Calvert, himself a Catholic, was familiar with the problems that could arise from disputes over theologies. As the founder of the colony, he wanted to ensure that the same type of problems the division between the two caused in England were not going to arise in the colony. However, it wasn't the same type of all encompassing religious freedom to be found in Roger Williams colony. In Maryland, the "freedom" was extended only to to those who were Trinitarian Christians. For those who in any way denied the Holy Trinity, the prescribed punishment was that they "shall be punished with death and confiscation or forfeiture of all his or her lands and goods to the Lord Proprietary and his heires."  While it was a major move from the religious prejudice of England, it was still limiting in its scope of what was acceptable.

2.  Respressively. Jews, African slaves, and Native Americans weren’t allowed to worship in their own way. Non-christians were also denied the right to hold any type of civil/government office.

Answer 2

it was a political move to prevent the immigrating Puritans from discriminating against catholics.  It guarrenteed freedom of Religion for Christioans, Non Christians were not protected

Answer 3

Hmmmmmmm- - - - Catholics can be tolerated but not non-Christians!!!!   Actually the Act of Toleration was soon discarded and Maryland became hostile to all but Anglicans - - - - so what can be said about the Act is what can be said about similar easures, a mere scrap of paper unable to mask the predujice & bigotry engrained in people's souls!!

Non Christians & even Christians who were not 'Conformists' were treated like garbage but because of the need for settlers a sort of Colonial 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' policy was in effect and thus those who outwardly had two arms two legs and a head were tolerated , see snippet below.

http://www.jewishmag.com/93mag/usa-warde...

""""""The struggle for political equality varied from State to State but in no State was the fight uglier than in Maryland. Maryland was originally founded as a haven for Catholics but that soon changed. Maryland adopted the Colonial Church of England and Catholics were quickly disenfranchised. Restrictive, discriminatory laws and test oaths were rapidly passed. One law was particularly heinous. If a parent in a Catholic family died, the Colony had the right to take the children away and raise them as Protestants in an intact family unit. It is not know if this law was ever enforced but many of the discriminatory acts remained legal until the American Revolution.

For Jews, Quakers and non-conformists, in Maryland, the Test Oath remained long after the Revolution. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Solomon Etting of Baltimore as the first U.S. Constable for Maryland. Because under the law of the Maryland Test Oath, Etting could not be legally elected even a dog catcher in Maryland. In 1814, Francis Scott Key watched, on a truce ship as Fort McHenry was bombarded, all night, by the British fleet. In the morning he saw the American flag flying high and strong. Inspired, he wrote the words to the American National anthem that were placed to a popular British tavern song. Key did not know that within the fort, defending it, were Jews from Baltimore.

The struggle for political Freedom for all citizens of Maryland began in 1818. Thomas Kennedy, a Scottish Presbyterian immigrant was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates. Kennedy was an ardent believer in Jeffersonian Republicanism. He learned of the discrimination against Jews, Quakers and other non-conformists and resolved to do something about it. Kennedy had never known a Jew in his life. He dedicated his political life to changing the Maryland Constitution and righting the wrong against all Marylanders.

In 1818 he began the, most bitter, ugly, political struggle for equality in the States. The eight year struggle became known as the "Jew Bill" of Maryland. Kennedy lost his seat. Bigotry and charges of anti-Christianism flew from one end of the State to the other. In 1826 a compromise was reached and the "Jew Bill" passed. The Maryland constitution was changed, though still requiring a test oath, but one swearing to a belief in future rewards and punishments; a workable compromise for the Jews. Over the next seventy five years continued efforts were made to enfranchise all Marylanders. Quakers were not enfranchised until 1901 when the vestiges of the Test Oath were finally abolished. """"

Peace/////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\...