Rachel Evans
The history of Catholics in America is a long and complex one, marked by persecution and prejudice. Catholics were present in the Thirteen Colonies from the beginning, particularly in Maryland—a colony founded by Catholics—and Rhode Island, which was established for religious tolerance. However, they faced extensive religious persecution from Protestant sects, who believed that one could not be both a good Catholic and a good American. This anti-Catholic sentiment led to legal restrictions and violence against Catholics, who were excluded from several colonies and subjected to harsh laws. Despite this, Catholicism continued to grow in America, particularly through the efforts of missionaries who converted Native Americans and established settlements in places like Quebec and Port Royal. The Civil War and the issue of slavery also played a role in shaping the Catholic presence in America, and by 1850, Roman Catholicism had become the largest denomination in the country.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Catholic settlement in the Thirteen Colonies | Maryland, Rhode Island, Florida |
| Catholic pilgrims | Spanish, English, Irish |
| Anti-Catholic bias | Prevalent in Jamestown and the Thirteen Colonies |
| Catholic population in the late 19th and early 20th centuries | Immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe |
| Catholic conversion of Native Americans | Jesuits and other missionaries converted members of the Iroquois and Mohawk nations |
| Catholic support for slavery | Many Catholics were slave owners, and Catholic workers opposed emancipation |
| Catholic education | Catholic schools were established in the 19th and 20th centuries |
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What You'll Learn
The Catholic Church in the Thirteen Colonies
The Catholic Church in what became the Thirteen Colonies has a long and complex history, dating back to the earliest days of European colonisation in North America. From the very beginning, the story of the Catholic Church in the colonies was characterised by religious persecution and anti-Catholic sentiment.
The first English settlement in North America was Jamestown, Virginia, founded in 1607. The settlers, predominantly Protestant, brought with them an anti-Catholic bias, which spread throughout the Thirteen Colonies. This bias was also present in the Spanish settlement of San Domingo, led by Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón, which was founded in 1526 but abandoned the following year due to harsh conditions and native hostility.
The establishment of the English Church in 1624 led to further hostility towards Catholics in Virginia, which became a crown colony that year. Lord Baltimore, who had converted to Catholicism in 1624, attempted to establish a Catholic colony in Virginia in 1629, but stringent anti-Catholic legislation was enacted, including fines and the expulsion of priests.
Maryland, founded by Catholics, was one of the few colonies that practised religious toleration, with the Act of Toleration of 1649 explicitly defining tolerance of different religions. However, Maryland was an exception, as most colonies, including Massachusetts, Virginia, New York, Rhode Island, and South Carolina, excluded Catholics from public life and passed laws forbidding Catholic priests from residing within their borders.
Despite the small number of Catholics in the colonies, they still faced persecution and discrimination. By 1790, there were fewer than 65,000 Catholics in the newly formed United States, making up about 1.6% of the population. After the Revolutionary War, the Catholic Church in America was organised under the leadership of John Carroll, who was appointed the first American bishop in 1789.
In summary, the Catholic Church in the Thirteen Colonies faced significant challenges due to widespread anti-Catholic sentiment and persecution. Maryland stood out as a haven for religious toleration, but most colonies excluded and marginalised Catholics. Despite these difficulties, the Catholic Church persevered and eventually became more organised and established in the newly formed United States.
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Anti-Catholic bias in the Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies exhibited strong anti-Catholic biases, which were rooted in the theological heritage of the Protestant Reformation and the European wars of religion. This sentiment was prevalent among British colonists, who were predominantly Protestant and had themselves fled religious persecution by the Church of England. The Reformation was an attempt to correct the perceived errors and excesses of the Catholic Church, leading to strong positions against the Roman clerical hierarchy and the Papacy. The belief that the Pope claimed temporal power over civil rulers, including the right to depose secular authorities, was a significant concern for Protestants, who saw Catholicism as a threat to civil society.
This anti-Catholic sentiment was present from the earliest days of the colonies, with a "universal anti-Catholic bias" brought to Jamestown as early as 1607, according to Monsignor John Tracy Ellis. This bias was cultivated in all the Thirteen Colonies, from Massachusetts to Georgia. Colonial charters and laws reflected this sentiment, containing specific proscriptions against Catholics holding political power. The Plymouth Council, for example, banned Catholics from New England by excluding those who had not taken the Oath of Supremacy. The Massachusetts Bay Colony enacted a similar statute in 1642, prohibiting the entry of Catholic settlers. Virginia also enacted legislation in 1641, fining adherents of the Pope 1000 pounds of tobacco if they attempted to hold office.
The Act of Toleration, passed in Maryland in 1649, was an early law that explicitly defined tolerance of religious varieties, but it was repealed in 1654, once again outlawing Catholics. Maryland, founded by Catholics, and Rhode Island, founded for religious tolerance, were notable exceptions to the widespread religious intolerance of the time. However, even in these colonies, Catholics faced persecution at times. The defeat of the Royalists in the English Civil War in 1646 led to stringent laws against Catholic education in Maryland and the extradition of Jesuits, including Andrew White.
The evolving role of the English Crown, acting as both Supreme Governor of the Church of England and the Head of State of the colonial governments, further complicated the situation. The anti-Catholic bias was so strong that it could unite Anglican and Puritan clerics and laity, despite their differences. The historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr. described prejudice against Catholics as "the deepest bias in the history of the American people." This bias persisted, influencing key political and legal decisions in the 20th century, as evidenced by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, who was accused of letting his anti-Catholic bias impact rulings on the separation of church and state.
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Catholic immigration to the US in the 19th and 20th centuries
The history of Catholic immigration to the US in the 19th and 20th centuries is multifaceted and complex. The 19th century saw a significant wave of Catholic immigration to the US, particularly from Ireland, due to the devastating Potato Blight that struck in 1845. This famine caused mass starvation and death, leading to a large exodus from Ireland, with many seeking a new life in America. However, it is important to note that Irish migration to America began much earlier, with records showing Irish-Catholic immigrants arriving during colonial times, such as Charles Carroll in 1706.
Throughout the 19th century, the US also witnessed Catholic immigration from other parts of Europe, including France and Central America. While some historians highlight the "differences" between Catholics and Protestants during this period, others argue that these distinctions were overplayed. Both groups shared a cultural emphasis on establishing a "domestic" religion, promoting religious practices within the home and family prayer.
In the 19th-century US, Catholic immigrants often faced prejudice and discrimination. Native-born Americans sometimes viewed immigrants as saturating the job market by accepting unlivable wages, making it challenging for non-immigrants to find employment. Additionally, federal bans and immigration policies further validated prejudices against immigrants, who often faced poverty, low wages, inadequate healthcare, and social exclusion.
Moving into the 20th century, Catholic immigration to the US continued, particularly from countries like the Philippines, Poland, and Latin America. One notable development during this period was the emergence of the New Sanctuary Movement. Activists like John Fife and Jim Corbett led this movement, offering sanctuary and faith-based protection to Central American refugees fleeing political violence in El Salvador and Guatemala. Despite facing legal repercussions, these activists and their network of churches provided shelter to immigrants facing deportation, reflecting a continued history of Catholic immigration and evolving forms of support and activism.
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The Civil War and the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church has had a long and complex history in the United States, dating back to the early days of European colonization. By the time of the Civil War, Catholics in America were largely insular and foreign, facing significant anti-Catholic bias and attacks. This bias was rooted in the belief that Catholics posed a threat to civil society due to the Pope's claim of temporal power over civil rulers. Such sentiments were reflected in colonial charters and laws, which often excluded Catholics from certain rights and privileges.
During the Civil War, the Catholic Church in America found itself in a unique position. While the war divided the country along sectional and ideological lines, the Church remained notably united and neutral. This neutrality may have been influenced by the diverse makeup of the American Catholic population, particularly the presence of a large number of Irish immigrants, who had complex loyalties and motivations. On the one hand, their adopted country had provided them asylum from famine and British persecution, which may have inclined them to support the Union. On the other hand, they could also sympathize with the Confederate states' push for independence, similar to Ireland's struggle against the British Empire. Additionally, many Catholics, especially in the North, began to oppose the institution of slavery, which was one of the main causes of the war.
The Catholic Church's involvement in the Civil War was also evident through the service of chaplains on both sides of the conflict. On the Union side, Father William Corby is renowned for absolving an Irish brigade at Gettysburg before the battle, and Confederate chaplain Father Peter Whelan ministered to Union prisoners at the Andersonville POW camp. Despite their neutrality, some Catholics held powerful positions in the Confederate States of America, including Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard, Adm. Raphael Semmes, and America's first Catholic cabinet official, Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory.
The Civil War had a significant impact on the perception of the Catholic Church in America. The war contributed to the growing acceptance of Roman Catholicism in the country, as it demonstrated the Church's "unity of spirit" and ability to rise above political divisions. Additionally, the service and sacrifices made by Catholic chaplains and soldiers on both sides left a lasting legacy, with some, like Confederate Gen. James Longstreet, even converting to Catholicism after witnessing the horrors of the war.
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Catholic missionaries and the conversion of Native Americans
The arrival of European colonialists to the Americas in the 16th and 17th centuries brought with it a wave of Catholic missionaries seeking to convert Native Americans to Christianity. The Spanish and French were the first Catholics to infiltrate Native lands, with the Spanish establishing Catholic missions in present-day Florida and New Mexico, and the French occupying the Great Lakes region, Upstate New York, Eastern Canada, Louisiana, and the Mississippi Delta. The British later joined these efforts, bringing Catholicism to their colonies as well.
While some Native Americans resisted conversion, others adopted the new religion. By the late 17th century, members of the Iroquois and Mohawk nations had converted, including Kateri Tekakwitha, who became the first Native American to be canonized as a saint in 2012. The Potowatomi nation also embraced Catholicism, honouring a missionary named St. Rose Philippine Duschesne as "the Woman Who Prays Always."
The motivations of Catholic missionaries in converting Native Americans were complex. On the one hand, some missionaries genuinely sought to defend Native rights and protect them from the abuses of European colonial powers. On the other hand, they often failed to respect Native cultures, denigrating indigenous traditions in their zeal to spread Catholicism and fuse it with Americanism. This racist and infantilizing attitude towards Native Americans was common among both Catholics and Protestants during the Reconstruction Era and Gilded Age, and it persisted into the 20th century as the Catholic Church continued its efforts to convert Native Americans.
The relationship between Catholic missionaries and Native Americans was not without conflict. Between 1542 and 1812, more than 120 Catholic missionaries in 18 states were killed while serving in their missions. Additionally, the Catholic Church faced criticism for its role in upholding slavery. In 1838, the Maryland Jesuits sold 272 enslaved people to pay off their debts and keep Georgetown College (now Georgetown University) afloat. Despite these controversies, the Catholic Church continued its work among Native Americans, with missionaries becoming integral to the lives of Indian nations in places like Montana and the Dakotas.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholics played a very minimal role in the founding of the United States. The Thirteen Colonies were predominantly Protestant and exhibited anti-Catholic bias.
Catholics were persecuted in the Thirteen Colonies, with some colonies excluding them from the franchise and others forbidding Catholic priests from residing in them.
Maryland was a colony founded by Catholics, and Rhode Island was founded explicitly for religious tolerance.
Catholics came to the United States through immigration from southern and Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Civil War contributed to the growing acceptance of Catholicism in the United States. Many Catholics were slave owners, and Catholic teaching accepted the existence of slavery as a consequence of the sin of Adam.
