Joshua Bennett
Catholics have been part of the American electorate since the colonial era, but their voting rights have not always been guaranteed. In colonial America, the basic principle governing voting rights was that voters should have a stake in society, leading to restrictions on voting rights for those who did not own property or pay taxes. Catholics were barred from voting in five colonies, and religious tests for officeholders in colonial Pennsylvania also prevented Catholics from seeking state office. By the 1920s, thirteen states had also barred illiterate adults from voting. Despite these historical restrictions, Catholics have played a significant role in American politics, with notable Catholic politicians including John F. Kennedy, the only Catholic president, and Joe Biden, who served as vice president and later president. Today, Catholics comprise 25% to 27% of the national electorate, and their votes are highly sought after by both major parties.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Voting rights in colonial America | Voters should have a "stake in society" |
| Who was allowed to vote | People who owned property or paid taxes |
| Religious restrictions on voting | Catholics were barred from voting in 5 colonies, Jews in 4 |
| Religious tests for officeholders | Barred Catholics from seeking state office in colonial Pennsylvania |
| Tolerance Act | Passed by the religiously mixed Maryland assembly in 1649 |
| Tolerance Act provisions | Suffrage rights to all free men, not just landowners |
| Tolerance Act provisions | Encouraged Catholics and Protestants to migrate from the British Isles and other colonies |
| The Menace | An anti-Catholic newspaper with 1.5 million readers by 1911 |
| The Menace content | Murders by the Knights of Columbus, allegations of plots to populate the US with European criminals |
| Impact of World War I | Catholics' views influenced by national identity rather than religion |
| Catholics' voting preferences | Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans |
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What You'll Learn
Catholics were barred from voting in five colonies
Voting rights in colonial America varied widely. The basic principle governing voting was that voters should have a "stake in society". Leading colonists associated democracy with disorder and mob rule, and believed that only those who owned property or paid taxes were sufficiently independent to vote. As a result, each of the thirteen colonies required voters to meet certain property or tax-paying requirements.
Many colonies also imposed other voting restrictions, including religious tests. Catholics were barred from voting in five colonies, and Jews in four. Only Maryland offered full religious tolerance and suffrage rights to all free men, not just landowners. This encouraged Catholics and Protestants to migrate from other less tolerant colonies.
The root of much of the distrust of Catholics in electoral life was related to anti-papal beliefs. Generally, it was believed that the pope meddled in world affairs for his own benefit and that Catholics would be loyal to him rather than to the United States. By 1911, these views were circulated weekly to 1.5 million readers by an anti-Catholic newspaper, The Menace.
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Religious tests imposed on officeholders
In colonial America, the basic principle governing voting was that voters should have a "stake in society". Leading colonists associated democracy with disorder and mob rule, and believed that the vote should be restricted to those who owned property or paid taxes. Many colonies imposed other restrictions on voting, including religious tests. Catholics were barred from voting in five colonies, and Jews in four.
In colonial Pennsylvania, a religious test was imposed on officeholders that barred Catholics from seeking state office. Only Maryland’s colonial charter offered full religious tolerance, as well as suffrage rights to all free men, not just landowners. Consequently, these provisions encouraged Catholics and Protestants to migrate from the British Isles, as well as from other less tolerant colonies.
The root of much of the distrust of Catholics in electoral life, either as voters or candidates, was based on American ideas about the pope. These anti-papal beliefs generally held that the pope meddled in world affairs for his own benefit and that Catholics would be loyal to him rather than to the United States. By 1911 these views were circulated weekly to 1.5 million readers courtesy of *The Menace*, an anti-Catholic newspaper. During its relatively short existence, *The Menace* reported on murders perpetrated by the Knights of Columbus and allegations that the church was plotting to populate the United States with European criminals.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the United States experienced a large influx of immigrants, many of whom were Catholic. This wave of immigration greatly increased the US Catholic population, introducing a critical voting bloc to large cities like New York and, eventually, to most of the country. In the 1840s, nearly half of all immigrants in the United States were Irish. Many of the ruling classes were WASP and Republican, seemingly unsympathetic to the concerns of the new underclass. As a result, the Democrats were seen as more welcoming, particularly after the Republican Congress and a Republican president voted to shut off immigration in 1923.
In the run-up to the Civil War, Catholics tended to favor the pro-slavery Democrats, not out of a Catholic love of slavery, but because of a deep distrust of any party that built a coalition with abolitionists, who tended to oppose Catholic immigration as well. In the 20th century, cultural, moral, and social issues brought postwar Catholics into the Nixon new majority. The legal status of abortion became a key issue for Catholic voters when the US Supreme Court ruled, in *Roe v. Wade*, that the “right to privacy” protects a woman’s choice to have an abortion during the first two trimesters of a pregnancy. Since then, abortion has become an increasingly polarizing issue, with the Republican Party claiming the “pro-life” position and the Democratic Party endorsing the “pro-choice” position.
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Distrust of Catholics in electoral life
Catholics have always been part of the American electorate, but they have also been the target of significant suspicion and animosity. This animosity was rooted in anti-papal beliefs, which held that the pope meddled in global affairs for personal gain and that Catholics would prioritize loyalty to the pope over loyalty to the United States. Such views were widely circulated by publications like the anti-Catholic newspaper, The Menace, which also stoked fears by reporting on alleged crimes by the Knights of Columbus and claims that the Church was conspiring to populate the US with European criminals.
These sentiments manifested in tangible ways. Catholics were barred from voting in five colonies, and office-holding in colonial Pennsylvania required a religious test that excluded Catholics. Only Maryland offered full religious tolerance and suffrage rights to all free men, attracting Catholics and Protestants alike. The wave of Irish immigration to the US in the mid-19th century further intensified anti-Catholic sentiment, with nativist groups like the Know-Nothings spreading fear and suspicion of immigrants and Catholics, influencing politics and contributing to violent riots.
The political landscape was largely dominated by the WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) ruling class, creating an environment where Catholics felt they had to defend their rights and religious freedom. They found some allies in the Democratic Party, which was seen as more welcoming to immigrants, especially after the Republican-controlled government restricted immigration in 1923. However, this dynamic also fueled tensions, with the 1928 presidential election marked by religious divisions, as the Democratic nominee, Al Smith, a Catholic, faced religious prejudice and ultimately lost.
Despite these challenges, Catholics have actively participated in American electoral life, with their votes influencing key elections, such as the 1800 election, where Catholic support for Jefferson's liberal naturalization policies and religious freedom helped secure his victory.
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Catholics' voting rights restricted to landowners
Voting rights in colonial America were restricted to those with a “stake in society". This meant that only those who owned property or paid taxes could vote. Many colonies also imposed religious tests, barring Catholics from voting in five colonies and Jews in four.
Pennsylvania, for example, imposed a religious test that barred Catholics from seeking state office. Only Maryland offered full religious tolerance and suffrage rights to all free men, not just landowners. This encouraged Catholics and Protestants to migrate from the British Isles and other less tolerant colonies.
In the early history of the United States, Catholics were often viewed with suspicion and distrust. Anti-Catholic beliefs held that the Pope meddled in world affairs and that Catholics would be loyal to him rather than to the United States. These views were circulated by publications such as The Menace, an anti-Catholic newspaper with 1.5 million readers by 1911.
In the 19th century, a wave of Irish immigrants to the United States, even before the Irish Potato Famine in 1845, significantly increased the Catholic population. This introduced a critical voting bloc to large cities like New York and eventually most of the country.
During this period, Catholics were often leery of restrictions that limited voting rights to landowners. They were more sympathetic to Jefferson's liberal naturalization policies and his support for voting rights for small artisans as well as landowners. In the 1800 election, the Catholic vote helped tip the scales in Jefferson's favor.
While Catholics have always been part of the American electorate, their voting rights have been restricted in certain colonies and states, particularly when voting rights were limited to landowners.
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Catholics barred from seeking state office
In the history of voting rights in the United States, the basic principle that governed voting in colonial America was that voters should have a "stake in society". Leading colonists associated democracy with disorder and mob rule, and believed that the vote should be restricted to those who owned property or paid taxes. Many colonies imposed other restrictions on voting, including religious tests. Catholics were barred from voting in five colonies, and Jews in four.
In addition to being restricted from voting, Catholics were also barred from seeking state office in colonial Pennsylvania. A religious test was imposed on officeholders, prohibiting Catholics from seeking state office. This religious test was imposed despite the fact that Catholics have always been a part of the American electorate. The only colony that offered full religious tolerance and suffrage rights to all free men, not just landowners, was Maryland.
The root of much of the distrust of Catholics in electoral life, whether as voters or candidates, was due to American ideas about the pope. These anti-papal beliefs generally held that the pope meddled in world affairs for his own benefit and that Catholics would be loyal to him rather than to the United States. Such beliefs were circulated by The Menace, an anti-Catholic newspaper with 1.5 million readers by 1911.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Catholics were barred from voting in five colonies.
Yes, Catholics were barred from seeking state office in colonial Pennsylvania.
Yes, Maryland was the only colony that offered full religious tolerance and suffrage rights to all free men, not just landowners.
Yes, in addition to religious tests, each of the thirteen colonies required voters to either own a certain amount of land or personal property, or to pay a specified amount in taxes.
There was a general distrust of Catholics in electoral life, stemming from the belief that they would be loyal to the Pope rather than to the United States.
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