Joshua Bennett
The British colonies were predominantly Protestant, with Catholics comprising a small minority. Religious persecution of Catholics was widespread in the colonies, with stringent legislation enacted against them. Catholics were forbidden from holding office, attending established church services, and voting. Maryland, founded by Catholics, was an exception, offering religious freedom to Catholics. However, even in Maryland, Catholics faced persecution and anti-Catholic laws. The number of Catholics in the colonies was small, with fewer than 65,000 Catholics out of a population of almost four million in the newly formed United States in 1790. The colonies were shaped by religious diversity, with various Christian denominations and non-Christian faiths coexisting and competing for influence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Religious persecution | Catholics in the British colonies faced extensive religious persecution from Protestant sects |
| Founding of colonies | Some colonies, like Maryland, were founded by Catholics, while others, like Massachusetts, were settled by religious dissenters who opposed Catholicism |
| Population | In 1790, there were fewer than 65,000 Catholics in the newly formed United States, comprising about 1.6% of the population |
| Religious freedom | Colonies like Rhode Island and Pennsylvania were known for their religious tolerance, while others like Massachusetts enacted anti-Catholic laws |
| Colonial rule | The English Crown acted as both Supreme Governor of the Church of England and the Head of State of the colonial governments, influencing religious dynamics |
| Anti-Catholicism | Anti-Catholic sentiment was prevalent among British colonists due to their opposition to the Catholic Church and the Church of England |
| Legislation | Stringent legislation was enacted against Catholics, including fines, restrictions on holding office, and voting rights deprivation |
| Migration | Many British colonies were settled by individuals fleeing religious persecution in Europe, seeking religious freedom |
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What You'll Learn
The Catholic Church in the Thirteen Colonies
The situation of the Catholic Church in the Thirteen Colonies was characterised by religious persecution originating from Protestant sects. The British colonists, predominantly Protestant, opposed not only the Catholic Church but also the Church of England, which they believed perpetuated Catholic doctrine and practices. This anti-Catholic sentiment was also influenced by Elizabethan propaganda and England's struggles against Catholic powers in Europe. As a result, anti-Catholic laws, disabilities, and hatred permeated almost all of the English colonies.
However, Catholics were a part of colonial history from the beginning, especially in Maryland, a colony founded by Catholics, and Rhode Island, a colony founded for religious toleration. Maryland, under the leadership of George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, became a place where Catholics could live with relative religious freedom. In 1639, the Maryland Assembly decreed that "Holy churches within this province shall have all their rights and liberties." The Act of Toleration, issued in 1649, was one of the first laws that explicitly defined tolerance of religious varieties.
Despite Maryland's Catholic foundations, the freedoms enjoyed by Catholics were fleeting. In 1645, a Protestant trader named Richard Ingle attacked St. Mary's City, causing chaos and targeting Catholic leaders and property. To restore order and encourage rebuilding, the Maryland Assembly passed the "Acts Concerning Religion," or the Act of Toleration, in 1649. Nonetheless, Catholics continued to face persecution in Maryland and throughout the colonies.
In colonies like Massachusetts, Quakers, Jews, and Catholics were not permitted, and laws were enacted to forbid Catholic priests from residing there under pain of imprisonment and execution. In 1641, a decree in Virginia fined adherents of the Pope 1000 pounds of tobacco if they attempted to hold office, and priests were given five days to leave the colony. Similar laws were enacted in other colonies, depriving Catholics of their rights and subjecting them to fines and penalties.
In the late 18th century, as the newly formed United States conducted its first national census in 1790, there were fewer than 65,000 Catholics, comprising about 1.6% of the population. This history of Catholicism in the Thirteen Colonies highlights the contradictions and complexities that characterised the Church in the United States.
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Religious persecution
The British colonies were predominantly Protestant, and while Catholics were a part of colonial history from the beginning, they faced extensive religious persecution originating from Protestant sects. This anti-Catholic sentiment can be traced back to the Reformation, with American anti-Catholicism specifically stemming from the Protestant denominations of British colonists, who opposed not only the Catholic Church but also the Church of England, which they deemed insufficiently Reformed.
The establishment of the English Church led to hostility towards adherents of other beliefs, particularly Catholics. Stringent legislation was enacted against Catholics, including fines, imprisonment, and exclusion from holding office. The colony of Massachusetts, settled by religious dissenters, notably banned Catholics, along with Quakers and Jews. In 1647 and 1700, laws were passed in Massachusetts forbidding Catholic priests from residing in the colony under pain of imprisonment and execution.
Maryland, established as a haven for Catholics, stands out as an exception to the pervasive anti-Catholic sentiment in the colonies. Founded by George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, who himself converted to Catholicism, Maryland was intended to be a place where Catholics could live in relative religious freedom. However, even in Maryland, Catholics were outnumbered by Protestants, and their freedoms proved fleeting. In 1645, a Protestant trader named Richard Ingle led an attack on St. Mary's City, causing chaos and destruction of Catholic property. While order was eventually restored, the incident highlights the fragile nature of Catholic acceptance in the colonies.
The religious landscape of the colonies was complex and varied. While some colonies, like Massachusetts, enacted strict anti-Catholic measures, others, such as Rhode Island, founded explicitly for religious toleration, offered broader freedoms. The middle colonies, including Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland, exhibited a mix of religions, including Quakers, Catholics, Lutherans, Jews, and others. Pennsylvania, founded by Quaker William Penn on the principles of religious toleration, attracted Catholic families from Maryland and German Jesuit immigrants.
The history of religious persecution in the British colonies is a reminder of the struggles faced by those seeking religious freedom. The colonists' diverse religious beliefs and practices often led to conflict and persecution, shaping the religious landscape of early America.
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The first Catholic colonies
The British colonies were predominantly Protestant, with anti-Catholic bias exhibited in much of early American religious culture. However, Catholics were a part of colonial history from the beginning, especially in Maryland, a colony founded by Catholics, and Rhode Island, a colony founded explicitly for religious tolerance.
Maryland was the first Catholic colony, with the first Catholic Mass in the colonies said by Jesuit Fr. Andrew White on March 25, 1634, after two small ships, the Ark and the Dove, landed at St. Clement's Island in southern Maryland. The colony was founded by Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, a Roman Catholic Anglo-Irish peer, based on a charter granted to his father George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore. George Calvert, also known as Lord Baltimore, attempted in vain to plant a Catholic colony in Virginia in 1629-30. He converted to Catholicism in 1624, which cost him his seat in Parliament and his state office. He soon felt the harsh penal laws against Catholics and committed himself to aiding his fellow believers, including through the colony in the New World.
The first settlers in Maryland included 17 gentlemen, their wives, and their households, with most of the servants being Protestant. Despite being a Catholic colony, Calvert knew that the Catholics would be outnumbered by Protestants, and thus tolerance of Catholics would always be precarious. This proved to be the case, as in 1645, a Protestant trader and tobacco dealer named Richard Ingle attacked St. Mary's City, causing nearly two years of chaos. Jesuit priests were seized and sent to England, and Catholic property was plundered and burned. In 1646, Calvert returned with an army and restored some order. To ease the religious situation, the Maryland Assembly passed the "Acts Concerning Religion," generally called the Act of Toleration, in 1649.
In 1641, Maryland became the first colony in the United States to have religious freedom and toleration laws, despite Catholics being associated with bigotry and bloodshed. However, stringent legislation was enacted against Catholics throughout the colonies. A decree in 1641 declared that adherents of the pope were to be fined 1000 pounds of tobacco if they attempted to hold office, and all priests were ordered to leave the colony within five days. In 1661, all persons were obliged to attend Established services or pay a fine, and Catholic priests were actively sought out by magistrates, sheriffs, and constables. Catholics were deprived of their right to vote in 1699 and were declared incompetent as witnesses in 1705. In Massachusetts, laws passed in 1647 and 1700 forbade Catholic priests to reside in the colony under pain of imprisonment and execution, leading Catholics to avoid the colony during the colonial period.
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Anti-Catholic sentiment
The British colonies were predominantly Protestant, with Catholics comprising a small minority. The situation of the Catholic Church in the Thirteen Colonies was characterised by extensive religious persecution originating from Protestant sects, with stringent legislation enacted against Catholics. For example, in 1641, a decree declared that adherents of the Pope were to be fined 1000 pounds of tobacco if they attempted to hold office. In 1661, all persons were obliged to attend Established services or pay a fine of £20. The governor issued orders to actively seek out and bring Catholic priests to justice. Catholics were also deprived of their right to vote in 1699.
The anti-Catholic sentiment in the British colonies can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the establishment of the Protestant Church of England during the 16th century created a divide between Catholics and Protestants that persisted throughout the colonial period. England's chief enemies, Spain and France, were Catholic, and this fuelled resentment towards Catholicism. Additionally, many British colonists, such as the Puritans and Congregationalists, had fled religious persecution by the Church of England, which they believed perpetuated some Catholic doctrine and practices. They opposed both the Catholic Church and the Church of England, deeming it insufficiently Reformed. The colonists had grown up in a world filled with animosity towards the Church of Rome and were conditioned to fear and despise the Catholic Church by Elizabethan propaganda and England's struggles against Catholic powers in Europe.
The colonies themselves also contributed to anti-Catholic sentiment. Massachusetts, for example, was first settled by English religious dissenters, and Catholics were not permitted in the colony. Laws passed in 1647 and 1700 forbade Catholic priests from residing in Massachusetts under pain of imprisonment and execution, and Catholics avoided the colony during the colonial period. The Puritan element in Maryland also contributed to anti-Catholic sentiment, repealing the Act of Toleration and outlawing Catholics in 1654.
Despite the predominance of Protestantism in the British colonies, there were some exceptions to the anti-Catholic sentiment. Maryland, for instance, was founded as a place of refuge for Catholics, and it was the first colony where Catholics could live with comparative religious freedom. However, even in Maryland, Catholics were outnumbered by Protestants, and their freedoms proved fleeting. Rhode Island also established broad religious freedom for those who believed in God, although it is unclear if any Catholics resided there in 1680. Pennsylvania, founded by Quaker William Penn in 1681 on a basis of broad religious toleration, also attracted a number of Catholic families.
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Religious freedom
The British colonies were predominantly Protestant, with Catholics comprising a small minority. The Catholic Church in the colonies was characterised by religious persecution originating from Protestant sects. The establishment of the Protestant Church of England during the 16th century resulted in a divide between Catholics and Protestants that persisted throughout the colonial period.
However, there were some exceptions to the predominantly Protestant nature of the colonies. Maryland, for example, was founded as a place of refuge for Catholics and was the only colony where Catholics could live with relative religious freedom. George Calvert, the First Lord Baltimore, a friend of Kings James I and Charles I, converted to Catholicism in 1624, and established Maryland as a Catholic colony. However, even in Maryland, Catholics were outnumbered by Protestants, and their freedoms proved fleeting. In 1645, a Protestant trader named Richard Ingle led an attack on St. Mary's City, causing chaos and resulting in the seizure and imprisonment of Jesuit priests.
Another exception was Rhode Island, which was founded explicitly for religious toleration. However, not a single Catholic was known to reside there in 1680. Pennsylvania, founded by Quaker William Penn in 1681 on the basis of broad religious toleration, also attracted a number of Catholic families from Maryland.
The religious landscape of the colonies was shaped by the migration of individuals fleeing religious persecution in Europe. Many of the British colonists, such as the Puritans and Congregationalists, had themselves escaped religious persecution by the Church of England, yet they often exhibited anti-Catholic bias. The Puritans, for example, wished to reform and purify the Church of England of what they saw as unacceptable residues of Roman Catholicism. Massachusetts, settled by these religious dissenters, enacted anti-Catholic measures, and Catholics avoided the colony during the colonial period.
The first national census of the newly formed United States in 1790 counted fewer than 65,000 Catholics, comprising about 1.6% of the population. Thus, while there were some pockets of religious freedom for Catholics in the British colonies, they largely existed within a context of religious persecution and anti-Catholic sentiment.
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Frequently asked questions
No. The British colonists were predominantly Protestant.
Maryland was the only colony founded as a Catholic haven. However, even there, Catholics were a minority, comprising barely a tenth of the population by 1700.
Yes, Catholics were a part of colonial history from the beginning, especially in Maryland and Rhode Island, which was founded explicitly for religious toleration. However, they were a small minority and faced extensive religious persecution originating from Protestant sects.
Yes, the Puritans, who were English Protestants, were persecuted by the Church of England when they tried to reform and purify it of what they considered to be unacceptable residues of Roman Catholicism.
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