Final answer:
The English Toleration Act of 1689 allowed for religious diversity but did not address voting rights directly. Colonial voting rights were largely based on property ownership, and while religious tests existed, they were not the sole criteria. Changes in voting qualifications were part of broader administrative changes, not solely due to the Toleration Act.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that 'the English Toleration Act of 1690 made property ownership rather than Congregational church membership the sole requirement for voting in General Court elections' is not entirely accurate. The English Toleration Act of 1689 did indeed allow for greater religious diversity by granting religious tolerance to nonconformist Trinitarian Protestants, like Baptists and Congregationalists, but it did not specifically address voting requirements. Voting rights in colonial America were largely based on property ownership or tax payment, and while many colonies had religious tests, these were additional to the financial qualifications.
In 1684, prior to the passage of the Toleration Act, the Crown had revoked the Charter of Massachusetts Bay, leading to the expansion of male suffrage and a shift in voting requirements. While church membership was an important criteria earlier, after the Dominion of New England was established, voting rights were no longer strictly tied to Congregational church membership. Specifically, inhabitants no longer had to belong to the Congregational church to vote.