Ethan Walker
The English were predominantly Protestant during the colonization of the Americas and exhibited anti-Catholic bias. This was due to the influence of the Reformation, which led to strong positions against Catholic interpretations of the Bible, the Catholic hierarchy, and the Papacy. As a result, Catholics were persecuted and marginalized in most of the English colonies, with stringent legislation enacted against them. However, there were some exceptions, such as Maryland, which was founded as a haven for Catholics and offered religious freedom. The English also attempted to convert the indigenous peoples of the Americas to Christianity, with varying degrees of success.
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What You'll Learn
The English Colonists' Religious Persecution of Catholics
The English colonists' persecution of Catholics in the American colonies was driven by the conviction that religious uniformity was necessary in society. This belief, held by both Protestants and Catholics, led to the persecution of dissenters and the imposition of religious conformity by civil authorities. The religious persecution experienced by the English colonists at the hands of the Catholic Church in Europe further fuelled their anti-Catholic sentiments.
In the early days of colonisation, Catholics were banned by the charter of the Plymouth Council and excluded from New England. They were denied the right of freemen and were subject to various laws and customs that excluded them from public life. For example, in 1647 and 1700, laws were passed in Massachusetts forbidding Catholic priests from residing in the colony under the pain of imprisonment and execution. Catholics were also excluded from holding office and were declared incompetent as witnesses in legal cases.
The English colonists' anti-Catholic sentiments were shaped by their historical conflict with the Catholic powers of Europe and the influence of Elizabethan propaganda, which conditioned them to fear and despise the Catholic Church. This resulted in the enactment of proscriptive laws against Catholics, such as the decree in Virginia fining adherents of the Pope and ordering Catholic priests to leave the colony. Severe penalties, including long imprisonment and execution, were imposed on those who disobeyed these laws.
However, there were some exceptions to the religious persecution of Catholics. Maryland, founded by Catholics, became a place where Catholics could live with relative religious freedom. Rhode Island, led by Roger Williams, also declared freedom of religion for all faiths, including Catholics. Nonetheless, Catholics remained a small minority in the colonies, and their freedoms were often precarious, even in colonies founded by them.
The persecution of Catholics by the English colonists had lasting impacts on the religious landscape of the American colonies. It contributed to the emergence of important figures in American Catholic history, such as John Carroll, and shaped the legacy of religious tolerance and pluralism that would characterise the colonies' future.
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Catholics' Attempts to Settle in the Colonies
The religious persecution that drove many European settlers to the British North American colonies was based on the conviction that uniformity of religion was necessary. This resulted in the marginalization of Catholics in the colonies, despite them being a part of colonial history from the beginning.
The earliest religious settlements in North America were formed by Protestants discontented with the Church of England. These groups, in Virginia and Massachusetts, became the vanguard of what became the 13 colonies. The religious tolerance that was a hallmark of most colonies did not extend to Catholics. Most inhabitants of the colonies had grown up with animosity towards the Catholic Church, which was fuelled by Elizabethan propaganda and England's struggles against Catholic powers in Europe. This resulted in anti-Catholic laws and hatred permeating almost all English colonies.
Catholics were banned by the charter of the Plymouth Council, which excluded those who had not taken the Oath of Supremacy from New England. They were also denied the right of freemen under the Royal Commission of 1679, which required the Oath of Supremacy. In 1696, a test oath was imposed on the people under pain of fine or imprisonment. The proscription of Catholics continued even after the adoption of the federal constitution.
Maryland was the only colony founded by Catholics and was the one place in the colonies where Catholics could live in relative religious freedom. The colony was founded in 1634 by Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, a Roman Catholic Anglo-Irish peer. Calvert knew that the long-term chances of the colony were better if it observed genuine religious liberty. He was aware that Catholics would be outnumbered by Protestants, so he cautioned the first colonists for Maryland to be careful to preserve unity and peace with the Protestants. However, even in Maryland, the freedoms enjoyed by Catholics were fleeting. After the Acts Concerning Religion, generally called the Act of Toleration, was passed in 1649, Catholics were permitted to practice their faith openly in the middle of the 18th century.
Another attempt to settle Catholics in the colonies was made by George Calvert, First Lord Baltimore. Calvert converted to Catholicism in 1624, which cost him his seat in Parliament and state office. He then committed himself to aiding his fellow believers, including through a colony in the New World. The first chosen site was in Newfoundland, but this was financially impractical.
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The Impact of the Reformation on English Anti-Catholicism
The English Reformation, which began in the 16th century, had a profound and lasting impact on English society and played a significant role in shaping the country's attitude towards Catholicism. The Reformation saw the Church of England break away from the authority of the Pope and the Catholic Church, with King Henry VIII declaring himself the head of the Church of England. This marked a turning point in the country's religious landscape and set in motion a series of events that would have far-reaching consequences for Catholics in England and its colonies.
One of the key factors that led to the English Reformation was Henry VIII's desire to annul his marriage, which was refused by the Pope. In response, Henry sought to assert his authority over the Church, and with the support of Parliament, he passed laws abolishing papal authority in England. This marked the beginning of a shift away from Catholic doctrine and towards a more Protestant-leaning Church of England. Henry himself was not a radical ideological reformer and died a Catholic in 1547. However, his actions set in motion a series of events that would shape the religious landscape of England for centuries to come.
The Reformation was not just a religious movement but also had significant political implications. It was driven in part by a century of dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church, as popes and bishops were perceived to be abusing their spiritual power for political and material gain. Additionally, the spread of new ideas, such as those put forth by Martin Luther, contributed to a growing Protestant sentiment in England. The invention of the printing press played a crucial role in disseminating these ideas widely and rapidly across the country.
The legacy of the Reformation's anti-Catholicism persisted for centuries, and it was not until the late 18th and early 19th centuries that Catholics began to gain some measure of toleration and legal rights. In the colonies, the impact of the Reformation on anti-Catholicism was particularly pronounced, as the majority of colonists had grown up with negative perceptions of the Catholic Church, fueled by propaganda and England's struggles against Catholic powers in Europe. This led to the enactment of anti-Catholic laws and widespread discrimination against Catholics in colonial America.
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The Role of the English Crown in Religious Persecution
The English Crown played a significant role in the religious persecution experienced by Catholics in the Thirteen Colonies. The Crown acted as both the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and the Head of State of the colonial governments, creating a complex dynamic that often resulted in discrimination against Catholics.
One of the earliest examples of the English Crown's role in religious persecution was the establishment of Virginia as a crown colony in 1624. This led to hostility towards adherents of other faiths, particularly Catholics. Stringent legislation was enacted, including fines, exclusion from office, and expulsion of priests, aimed at suppressing Catholic practices and presence in the colony. Similar laws were passed in other colonies, such as Massachusetts, where Catholics were forbidden and priests faced imprisonment or execution.
The English Crown's influence extended to the enactment of proscriptive laws against Catholics, as seen in the province of New York. Catholic priests and teachers were ordered to stay away or face severe penalties, including long imprisonment. The Royal Commission of 1679 in New England denied Catholics the right of freemen, requiring them to take the Oath of Supremacy, which further marginalized the Catholic community.
Maryland, established as a haven for Catholics in 1634, provides an interesting case study. While it was founded by Catholics and had a sizable Catholic population, the English Crown's involvement led to religious tensions. The Maryland legislature, initially comprised of Catholics and Protestants, enacted a broad Act of Toleration. However, in 1654, Puritans overthrew the proprietor, repealed the Act, and outlawed Catholicism. The Calvert family regained control and re-enacted the Toleration Act, but the Glorious Revolution of 1688 again deposed the Calverts, and criminal legislation ended Catholic equality.
The evolving political conditions in England and the contest with France for control of North America also influenced the treatment of Catholics. The Quebec Act of 1774, in which Britain supported the Catholic Church, alarmed New England Protestants, who viewed it as one of the Intolerable Acts. Additionally, the English Crown's endorsement of the Church of England as the established church in the colonies contributed to the anti-Catholic sentiment prevalent among British colonists.
In summary, the English Crown's dual role as the head of church and state in the colonies, coupled with historical, political, and religious factors, resulted in religious persecution and discrimination against Catholics in the Thirteen Colonies. The Crown's actions and influence shaped the legal, social, and religious landscape, often to the detriment of the Catholic community.
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The Legacy of Religious Tolerance and Pluralism in the Colonies
The English colonists who settled in North America were predominantly Protestant. They were fleeing religious persecution by the Church of England, but they opposed not only the Church of England but also the Catholic Church, which they believed perpetuated Catholic doctrine and practices. As a result, anti-Catholic sentiment was pervasive in the colonies, and few Catholics appear among the early settlers.
The Middle Colonies (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) and the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations had no established churches. Rhode Island, in particular, was founded explicitly for religious toleration, and its 1635 charter established broad religious freedom for those who believed in God. However, not a single Catholic was known to reside there in 1680.
Maryland was the only colony founded by Catholics, and it became a haven for Catholics in 1634. However, Protestants were the majority in Maryland, and Catholics comprised barely a tenth of the population by 1700. The Maryland legislature, made up of both Catholics and Protestants, enacted a broad Act of Toleration in 1648. But in 1654, the Puritans overthrew the proprietor, repealed the Act of Toleration, and outlawed Catholicism. Criminal legislation in 1691 put an end to Catholic equality, and the Church of England was established there by law the following year. By 1765, the Catholic minority in Maryland numbered about 20,000.
Pennsylvania, founded by Quaker William Penn in 1681 on a basis of broad religious toleration, also attracted a number of Catholic families from Maryland, and German Jesuits immigrated to several rural counties. The first Catholic mission and school were established in Cecil County in 1706. By 1765, there were some six thousand Catholics in Pennsylvania.
Despite the presence of these colonies founded on religious toleration, anti-Catholic laws, disabilities, and hatred permeated almost all of the English colonies. Catholics were banned by the charter of the Plymouth Council, which excluded from New England all who had not taken the Oath of Supremacy. They were also denied the right of freemen under the Royal Commission of 1679, which required the Oath of Supremacy. 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 the Established services or pay a fine of £20. Catholics were declared incompetent as witnesses in 1705, and this incompetency was extended to cover all cases in 1753.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the English were predominantly Protestant during the colonization of the Thirteen Colonies. Catholics were a small minority and were often persecuted.
Yes, there were some Catholic English colonists, but they were a small minority and faced persecution and restrictions. The colony of Maryland, founded by Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, was established as a haven for Catholics in 1634. However, even in Maryland, Catholics were often outnumbered and faced religious intolerance.
The Catholic Church played a significant role in the colonization efforts of Catholic nations such as Spain, France, and Portugal. The Church sent missionaries to convert indigenous peoples, which was seen as a partial justification for colonial expansion.
The religious landscape of the colonies was initially dominated by Protestant denominations, with Congregationalism being the established religion. Over time, religious diversity increased, and colonies like Rhode Island and Pennsylvania were founded on the principles of religious tolerance. However, anti-Catholic sentiment and legislation were prevalent in many colonies, and Catholics often faced discrimination and persecution.
