The colony of Maryland of itself was established in 1632 with the purpose of being a refuge for Catholics. The Maryland Toleration Act in 1649 granted all Christians with the right to worship, but it still failed to provide complete protection for all of its Catholic colonists. But, since only Christians had the right to worship, it made it difficult for Quakers and people of other religions to openly show their faiths because this act hindered them from doing so.