Maryland Toleration Act
The Maryland Toleration Act was a law passed in 1649 by the colonial assembly of the Province of Maryland mandating religious toleration of all Christian denominations. As the first such law, it is often seen as a precursor to the First Amendment.
In 1649, Maryland was the most religiously diverse of the English colonies, having been founded as a Catholic haven, and then populated by a large number of Protestants. While the Act did prevent outright persecution for a long time, it failed to prevent a political struggle over the control of the colonial assembly.
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