Final answer:
Lord Baltimore proposed the Toleration Act of 1649 to guarantee religious freedom to Christians in Maryland and to provide a haven where Protestants and Catholics could live together peacefully, despite later challenges to the Act.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Toleration Act of 1649 was proposed by Lord Baltimore with the intention of establishing religious freedom for Christians in the colony of Maryland. The Act was a result of the ongoing conflict between Protestants and Catholics, and it was designed to create a haven where both groups could coexist peacefully.
This tolerance, however, was not extended to non-Christians, and the Act explicitly stated that anyone denying the divinity of Christ could face the death penalty. While it established a liberal religious policy uncommon in other English colonies and made Maryland an attractive location for those seeking freedom from religious persecution, it failed to completely reassure Protestant settlers regarding fairness from the Catholic-controlled government. The Toleration Act was later repealed and Catholics faced restrictions on publicly practicing their faith due to political changes after the English Civil War.