Final answer:
Henry IV of France issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598, granting liberty of conscience and freedom of worship to Huguenots, marking a significant step towards religious toleration during this period.
Step-by-step explanation:
Henry IV issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598, which extended significant legal concession to the French Protestants known as Huguenots, granting them the liberty of conscience and freedom of worship. This was a central moment in the history of religious toleration in France. Henry IV's decree followed a period of intense religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants and sought to bring peace by acknowledging the rights of Protestant subjects within a predominantly Catholic nation.
The Edict of Nantes was part of a broader historical context, including the English Toleration Act of 1689 and the Maryland Toleration Act of 1649. These acts played a significant role in the development of religious freedom in the Western world, creating frameworks where diverse religious practices could coexist, albeit with limitations in certain cases, as some groups were still excluded from this freedom, such as Catholics in England and non-Christians in Maryland.