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Difficulty: MediumColonial Society, Culture, and Politics

"And whereas the enforcing of the conscience in matters of Religion hath frequently fallen out to be of dangerous Consequence in those commonwealths where it hath been practised... Be it therefore also by the Lord Proprietary with the advice and consent of this Assembly ordained and enacted... that no person or persons whatsoever within this Province... professing to believe in Jesus Christ, shall from henceforth be any ways troubled, molested or discountenanced for or in respect of his or her religion..."

— Maryland Toleration Act, 1649

Which of the following circumstances was the primary motivation for the passage of the act excerpted above?

  1. The effort by the colony's Catholic proprietor to protect the religious freedom of his co-religionists in the face of growing Protestant immigrationAnswer
  2. B
    The determination of Puritan leaders to enforce strict religious conformity and prevent theological dissent
  3. C
    The requirement by British imperial authorities to align colonial religious practices with mercantilist trade regulations
  4. D
    The desire of the local assembly to grant equal legal and social status to indentured servants and enslaved African laborers

Answer

The effort by the colony's Catholic proprietor to protect the religious freedom of his co-religionists in the face of growing Protestant immigration
The correct answer is the option describing the proprietor's attempt to protect Catholics from the growing Protestant majority. Cecilius Calvert, the proprietor of Maryland, established the colony as a haven for English Catholics. However, as Protestant settlers became a majority, Calvert sponsored the Act of Toleration in 1649 to secure the religious rights of Catholics against potential persecution.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus context and origin.
The excerpt is from the Maryland Toleration Act of 1649, which provided religious toleration for all Trinitarian Christians.
Identifying the source and its main provision establishes the historical context of religious policy in the Chesapeake region.
2
Examine the demographic and political dynamics of Maryland in 1649.
Maryland was founded as a refuge for Catholics by Cecilius Calvert, but Protestant settlers quickly grew to outnumber Catholics.
Understanding the demographic shifts explains why a legislative guarantee of toleration was necessary to protect the Catholic minority.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the statement that matches this historical motivation.
The option referring to the Catholic proprietor's effort to protect Catholics from a growing Protestant majority aligns with the history of the Maryland colony.
This links the historical cause directly to the correct answer choice.

Key Concept

Religious toleration and political development in the Chesapeake colonies
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Topics

Colonial Society, Culture, and Politics

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