Why was the Act for Religious Toleration of 1649 significant?
A) It protected Puritans in Massachusetts from religious persecution and was America's first law affirming freedom of worship.
B) It allowed Native Americans to perform their own religious rites in "praying towns."
C) It embodied the fundamental anti-authoritarian tenets of the Antinomians.
D) It protected Catholics in Maryland from religious persecution.
E) It promoted social stability in the British West Indies.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Act for Religious Toleration of 1649 was significant because it was one of the first laws passed in the English American colonies to guarantee freedom of worship, specifically aimed at protecting Catholics in Maryland from religious persecution. This was notable in a period where religious intolerance was common, and it laid early groundwork for the principles of religious freedom that would later be central to the United States.

Why Was the Act for Religious Toleration of 1649 Significant