Joshua Bennett
The religious persecution that drove settlers from Europe to the British North American colonies was based on the conviction that uniformity of religion must exist in any given society. This resulted in the persecution of Protestants and Catholics alike, with each group facing persecution in different areas. While America began as a significant Protestant majority nation, the population of Roman Catholics in the United States tripled between 1860 and 1890, leading to increased political power and cultural presence for the Roman Catholic Church. This influx of Catholic immigrants to America sparked fears among some Protestants, who believed that Catholics were destroying American culture and seeking to seize control of the government.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for fleeing to America | Religious persecution, and to escape the civil war |
| Who fled to America | Both Protestants and Catholics |
| Who persecuted whom? | In some areas, Catholics persecuted Protestants, and in others, Protestants persecuted Catholics |
| Who were the Protestants who fled? | Puritans, Pilgrims/Brownists, Anabaptists |
| Who were the Catholics who fled? | Irish Catholics, Catholics from Southern Germany, Italy, Poland and Eastern Europe |
| When did Catholics flee to America? | Between 1860 and 1890 |
| When did Protestants flee to America? | 1642-1651 during the English Civil War |
| What was the impact of the Catholic influx? | Increased political power for the Catholic Church, greater cultural presence, and a "Know-Nothing" political movement in response |
| What was the impact of the Protestant influx? | America began as a significant Protestant majority nation |
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What You'll Learn
- Protestants and Catholics alike fled to America to escape religious persecution in Europe
- Protestants comprised the majority of the American population until 2012
- Catholics were viewed with suspicion in America, with fears they'd seize control of the government
- Protestants and Catholics both persecuted each other in Europe
- The English Civil War led to Protestants fleeing to North America
Protestants and Catholics alike fled to America to escape religious persecution in Europe
Religious persecution has long been a feature of European history, with both Protestants and Catholics experiencing violence and oppression at various times and in various places. This persecution was often driven by the conviction that uniformity of religion was necessary and that it was the duty of civil authorities to impose this, by force if necessary. As a result, those who dissented from the majority religious group in a given society could face severe punishment, including execution.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, many Protestants fled to the British North American colonies to escape religious persecution in Europe. This included English Protestants, who fled to the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland during the reign of Queen Mary I, who sought to take England back for Catholicism. Hundreds of English Protestants, known as "Marian exiles", studied under continental Reformed theologians and adopted certain understandings of Protestantism and its role in the world.
French Huguenots also experienced persecution and fled to Protestant countries, including the British North American colonies, in the 16th and 17th centuries. The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in Paris in 1572, in which thousands of Huguenots were killed by Roman Catholic mobs, was a particularly notorious example of the violence inflicted on Protestants.
Catholics also fled to the British North American colonies to escape religious persecution. For example, Irish Catholics experienced persecution during the Irish Rebellion of 1641, when approximately one hundred Protestants from Loughgall Parish were murdered by Irish Catholics. In addition, Catholics from Southern Germany, Italy, Poland, and Eastern Europe immigrated to the United States in large numbers during the 19th century.
While both Protestants and Catholics fled to America to escape religious persecution in Europe, the relationship between the two groups in America was often tense and sometimes violent. Anti-Catholic sentiment among Protestants in the United States peaked in the 19th century, with the Know-Nothing Party of the 1850s expressing violent opposition to Catholic immigrants. However, as the 19th century progressed, animosity between the groups waned as Protestant Americans realized that Roman Catholics were not trying to seize control of the government.
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Protestants comprised the majority of the American population until 2012
America has long been a majority-Protestant nation, with the religion introduced by European settlers in the 16th and 17th centuries. Colonists from Northern Europe brought Anglican, Reformed, and other forms of Protestantism to colonies in Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay, New Netherland, Virginia, and Carolina. The first arrivals adhered to Anglicanism, Congregationalism, Presbyterianism, Methodism, the Baptist Church, Calvinism, Lutheranism, Quakerism, Anabaptism, and the Moravian Church, with the Church of England established as the official religion in 1619.
The dominance of Protestantism in America was driven by the conviction, held by both Protestants and Catholics, that uniformity of religion was necessary in society. This resulted in the persecution of nonconformists by religious majorities in control of political power. In some instances, Protestants were persecuted by Catholics, and in others, the reverse was true. This dynamic led to the migration of Protestants to the British North American colonies, with notable examples including the flight of Huguenots following the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572, and the Irish Rebellion of 1641, during which Irish Catholics murdered around a hundred Protestants.
The Protestant majority in America began to shift in the 19th century, with the population of Roman Catholics tripling between 1860 and 1890, reaching 7 million by the end of that decade. This influx of immigrants from Ireland, Southern Germany, Italy, Poland, and Eastern Europe increased the political power and cultural presence of the Roman Catholic Church. While initial fears of Catholic control waned, concerns about Catholic influence on the government persisted into the 20th century, fuelling anti-Catholic sentiment.
By the 1850s, Roman Catholics had become the largest single denomination in the country. The decline in the Protestant majority was also attributed to the decreasing membership of mainline Protestant churches, while evangelical and black churches remained stable or continued to grow. In 2012, the Protestant share of the U.S. population dropped to 48%, ending its status as the majority religion. As of 2013, 46.5% of U.S. adults identify as Protestants, with Baptists comprising about one-third of this group.
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Catholics were viewed with suspicion in America, with fears they'd seize control of the government
America began as a significant Protestant majority nation. Between 1860 and 1890, the population of Roman Catholics in the United States tripled through immigration, and by the end of the decade, it would reach 7 million. This influx of immigrant Catholics, many of whom did not speak English, caused a growing fear of the Catholic "menace" among the Protestant population. The mid-19th century saw the development of the Catholic parochial school system in response to anti-Catholic bias in American public schools.
The "'Nativist' movement" of the 1840s was a reaction to the increasing number of impoverished German and Irish Catholic immigrants. Fueled by claims that Catholics were destroying American culture, the movement led to mob violence, the burning of Catholic property, and the killing of Catholics. Lurid myths about Catholic sexual slavery and infanticide spread through pamphlets and books, such as the 1834 supposed memoir *Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk*. Demagogues in the nativist movement incited fear about the huge numbers of Catholic immigrants, warning that they would take jobs, spread disease and crime, and plot a coup to install the Pope in power. In 1844, mobs burned Catholic churches and hunted down victims in Philadelphia.
The anti-Catholic sentiment of the mid-19th century was also reflected in political movements. The Know-Nothing Party of the 1850s and the Blaine Amendments, proposed by Republican Minority Leader of the House of Representatives James G. Blaine in 1874, sought to restrict the influence of the Catholic Church in public life and education. President Ulysses S. Grant supported the Blaine Amendments, expressing his fear of a future with "patriotism and intelligence on one side and superstition, ambition and greed on the other."
In the 20th century, anti-Catholic sentiment continued, with fears that there was too much "Catholic influence" on the government. During John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1960, prominent Protestant spokesmen warned that the pope would give orders to a Kennedy White House. Kennedy was forced to distance himself from Catholic Church officials and declare that he was "not the Catholic candidate for President."
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Protestants and Catholics both persecuted each other in Europe
The Protestant Reformation, beginning in 1517, disrupted the religious and political order in the Catholic countries of Europe, or Christendom. The spread of Protestantism led to the Catholic Church beginning the Counter-Reformation in 1545, which further fuelled the fires of conflict. The European Wars of Religion, also known as the Wars of the Reformation, were a series of wars waged in Europe during the 16th, 17th, and early 18th centuries. These wars were driven by revolt, territorial ambitions, and great power conflicts, in addition to religious fervour. The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 largely ended these wars and established a new political order, now known as Westphalian sovereignty.
However, the religious conflicts continued beyond this period, with the Wars of the Three Kingdoms (1639-1653) and the Savoyard-Waldensian Wars (1655-1690) being notable examples. The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) was another significant conflict, which was started by the Bohemian Revolt between the Protestant nobility of the Bohemian Crown and their Catholic Habsburg king. This war caused additional conflicts across Europe and intensified religious tensions.
The split between Catholics and Protestants in the 16th century was a source of vicious animosity and persecution among Christians. Protestants and Catholics both persecuted each other in Europe, and the conviction that uniformity of religion was necessary led to the punishment of dissenters. For example, in England, Jesuits like John Ogilvie were under constant threat from Protestant governments, while in Ireland, Catholics tortured and murdered Protestant prisoners at the beginning of the Irish Rebellion in 1641. The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in Paris in 1572 saw thousands of Huguenots butchered by Roman Catholic mobs.
The religious persecution in Europe drove many settlers to the British North American colonies, where they sought refuge from religious intolerance. America thus became a significant Protestant majority nation, with significant minorities of Roman Catholics and Jews emerging later, between 1880 and 1910. The anti-Catholic sentiment in the United States peaked in the 19th century with the influx of Catholic immigrants, leading to mob violence and the burning of Catholic property. However, by the late 20th century, the Catholic-Protestant divide in Western Europe had largely faded, with both groups expressing willingness to accept each other as neighbours and family members.
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The English Civil War led to Protestants fleeing to North America
The English Civil War, which lasted from 1642 to 1651, was a conflict between those who sought to establish a thoroughly Protestant nation and those who wished to maintain the marriage of church and state. As a result, some individuals chose to flee, and North America presented an enticing option for those seeking religious refuge. This migration contributed to the religious landscape of the American colonies, which became a haven for those escaping religious persecution.
During the English Civil War, Protestants and Catholics alike held the conviction that religious uniformity was necessary in society. This belief stemmed from the idea that there was only one true religion, and civil authorities had a duty to impose it, even forcibly if necessary. Those who dissented from the majority religious group in a particular region often faced punishment or persecution.
Protestants, including those who had fled to the continent during the reign of Queen Mary I, sought to establish a thoroughly Protestant nation in England. They were influenced by continental Reformed theologians such as John Calvin and adopted certain interpretations of Protestantism. This group became known as "the godly" or "Puritans," and they refused to accept the continuation of Catholic practices under Queen Elizabeth I, who sought to please both her Catholic and Protestant subjects.
As tensions escalated in the mid-17th century, the English Civil War broke out, and some individuals chose to flee to North America. The Puritans brought their distinctive piety and spiritual literature with them, contributing to the religious diversity of the colonies.
The migration of Protestants to North America during and after the English Civil War had a significant impact on the religious landscape of the colonies. It added to the existing religious diversity, which included Anglicans, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Calvinists, Lutherans, Quakers, Anabaptists, and adherents of the Moravian Church. This diversity reflected the stock of immigrants from British, German, Dutch, French, and Nordic backgrounds.
In summary, the English Civil War, driven by religious tensions, led to Protestants fleeing to North America in search of religious refuge. This migration contributed to the religious diversity of the American colonies and shaped the religious landscape of the young nation.
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Frequently asked questions
Protestants first fled to America. The first European settlers, who were Protestants, arrived in North America in the 16th and 17th centuries. They introduced Protestantism in its Anglican and Reformed forms.
Protestants fled to America to escape religious persecution. They also wanted to establish a thoroughly Protestant nation.
Yes, Catholics also fled to America to escape religious persecution. In the 19th century, Catholic immigration to the United States increased significantly, with many arriving from Ireland, Southern Germany, Italy, Poland, and Eastern Europe.
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