The Maryland Toleration Act of 1649
“The Maryland Toleration Act” Document Analysis by Phoebe Schmitt
Maryland was a unique American colony. An example of this uniqueness can be found in “The Maryland Toleration Act.” Maryland was a propriety colony founded in 1632. A proprietary colony is when a monarch, in this case, King Charles I, gives a honorable man, George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, land, or Maryland. The colony was one of the first predominantly Catholic colonies in North America. The majority of its population was indentured servants in the beginning. The major cash crop was tobacco, which the indentured servants farmed. An Assembly and governor ran the propriety government. The local government was run by Sheriffs, who chose punishments for religion-related crimes.
“The Maryland Toleration Act” is an act of law describing the religious freedoms of the inhabitants of Maryland. Like all of the English colonies, Maryland had a primarily Christian population. The reason for many Christians to come over to America was to seek religious freedoms from the strict religious laws of England. Once the colonies were established, however, very few colonies had religious freedom. Many only tolerated one primary religion, such as
Puritan or Anglican. Some colonies, however, were religiously tolerant, such as Maryland. Maryland, although tolerant, was still strict. The only religions they allowed to practice were “heritick, Scismatick, Idolator, puritan, Independant, Prespiterian popish priest, Jesuite, Jesuited papist, Lutheran, Calvenist, Anabaptist, Brownist, Antinomian, Barrowist, Roundhead, Separatist.” These and other Christian religions were allowed, but not Jewish or Muslim. Many argue that this does not display religious tolerance if not all religions are represented.
For those of those living in Maryland, respect towards the allowed religions must be observed. Those of those who negatively comment on another’s faith is or be punished. If anyone was to “blaspheme God, that is Curse him, or deny our Savior Jesus Christ to be the son of God, or shall deny the holy Trinity the father son and holy Ghost” they would be punished. The purpose of these laws was to keep order in the Christian society. European exceptionalism was often challenged in the colonies by different religions and races. Strict laws were kept to fortify European dominance in the New World. Consistent swearing, drunkenness, or any other Unchristian act is also punished.
The punishments for breaking the laws decreed by “The Maryland Toleration Act” were severe. For instance, the potential consequences for using “reproachful” language towards a topic concerning religion “that then the person or persons so offending shall be publickly whipt, and shall suffer imprisonment without bail or maineprise [bail] untill he, she or they respectively shall satisfy the party so offended or greived by such reproachfull Language by asking him or her respectively forgivenes publicly for such his Offence before the Magistrate of cheif Officer or Officers of the Towne or place where such Offence shalbe given.” The punishment mainly focuses on public humiliation, a tactic used by religions in the colonies to scare people into submission. Punishments also consisted of expensive penalties that would cost thousands of dollars or even death. “The Maryland Toleration Act” was a document that pioneered religious toleration in America, but also restricted freedom within those laws.
