For the first fifty years of the United States, Maryland's constitution had a clause saying that anyone who takes any public office must make "a declaration of belief in the Christian religion:" as an oath.
Jews started lobbying to change the law in 1797. I came up for a vote in 1802 but it was soundly defeated, 38-17.
Over time, prominent Jewish businessmen and others in Baltimore started to pressure the state to change this law It was defeated several more times. Finally, in 1825, the bill squeaked through 26-25, and the first Jews became members of Baltimore's city council in October 1826.
Maryland was one of nine states to force officeholders to be Christian in the early days of the Union. The last one to drop that requirement was New Hampshire in 1877.
Atheists were banned from holding office in several states up until a Supreme Court ruling in 1961.
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