Why was the act of toleration enacted?
A. To ensure African-Americans could maintain their own religious practices.
B. To provide freedom or religion for Jews.
C. To retain a separation between church and state.
D. Two safeguard freedom of worship the Catholics, who found Maryland.
D. To safeguard freedom of worship for Catholics, who founded Maryland.
D. To safeguard freedom of worship for Catholics, who founded Maryland.
The correct answer is D. The Act of Toleration was enacted to safeguard freedom of worship for Catholics who founded Maryland.
To arrive at this answer, we can break down the options and eliminate the ones that are not accurate.
Option A suggests that the Act of Toleration was enacted to ensure African-Americans could maintain their own religious practices. However, this is not accurate, as the Act of Toleration was not specifically aimed at African-Americans. Additionally, the Act of Toleration primarily focused on providing religious freedom for Catholic colonists, rather than African-Americans.
Option B states that the Act of Toleration was enacted to provide freedom of religion for Jews. While the Act of Toleration did grant some religious freedom, it specifically targeted Catholics who faced discrimination in the predominantly Protestant English colonies. It did not explicitly mention Jews or address their religious freedom.
Option C suggests that the Act of Toleration was enacted to retain a separation between church and state. Although the concept of religious tolerance can contribute to maintaining such separation, the primary purpose of the Act of Toleration was not to establish or enforce this separation. Instead, it aimed to protect the religious rights of Catholics in Maryland.
Finally, Option D accurately states that the Act of Toleration was enacted to safeguard freedom of worship for Catholics who founded Maryland. This option aligns with historical evidence, as the Act was passed in 1649 in response to the growing population of Catholics in Maryland who were seeking legal protection for their religious practices.
In conclusion, the correct answer is D, as it accurately explains why the Act of Toleration was enacted.