Ethan Walker
In the United States, the political party supported by Catholics in the 1890s was largely the Democratic Party. This was due to the anti-Catholic sentiment of the time, which was expressed by the nativist Know-Nothing movement of the 1850s, which sought to defend the traditional religious and political values of native-born Protestants. The Know-Nothing movement believed in a conspiracy theory that Catholics were plotting to subvert civil and religious liberty in the United States. This movement fell apart by the 1860s, but its anti-Catholic spirit was revived by the American Protective Association in the 1890s. In contrast to the anti-Catholic sentiment of the time, the Democratic Party offered protection from pietistic moralism, especially prohibition.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time Period | 1850s to 1890s |
| Region | Northern United States |
| Political System | Third Party System |
| Voting Behaviour | Catholics voted for the Democratic Party |
| Religious Divisions | Catholics and other liturgical groups supported the Democratic Party, while Methodists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Scandinavian Lutherans, and other Protestant pietists supported the GOP |
| Cultural Issues | Prohibition and foreign language schools were important due to sharp religious divisions |
| Anti-Catholic Sentiment | Manifested in the Know-Nothing Party (or American Party), which was strong in the 1850s and sought to restrict immigration and exclude foreign-born individuals from voting or holding public office |
| Catholic Response | Established colleges and lay fraternities to upgrade their cultural status |
| Voting Patterns | Catholics represented a quarter of the nation's electorate and became a large swing group, with their votes aggressively sought by both parties |
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What You'll Learn
Catholics in the North vs. the South
The history of Catholicism in the United States has been predominantly an urban and northern story. The first Catholics in the US were located in the slaveholding states of Maryland and Kentucky, and until 1850, there were more Catholic dioceses in the South than in the North. However, the vast majority of people in the South, regardless of race, were Protestants. The South's religious history, whether colonial, antebellum, Reconstruction, or Civil Rights-era, has been almost exclusively Protestant and evangelical.
The North, on the other hand, saw massive waves of Irish, German, Italian, Polish, Hungarian, and Latin American immigration in the 1830s, which led to a more than 900% increase in the Catholic population in the US by 1860. The growth in membership, especially in industrial and urban areas, made the Catholic Church the largest denomination in the US. Distrusting public schools dominated by Protestants, Catholics built their own network of parochial schools and colleges, with public funding for these schools becoming a controversial issue.
During the Civil War, Catholics served in both the North and the South, with nearly 150,000 Irish Catholics and approximately 40,000 German Catholics fighting for the Union in the North. Catholics became prominent in the officer corps, and hundreds of priests and Catholic religious sisters also served as ministers, nurses, and sanitary workers. After the war, the growing Catholic presence in America was acknowledged by President Andrew Johnson and Washington's mayor in 1866.
In terms of political support, Catholics in the North tended to support the Democratic Party. In the late 19th century, 75% of Irish and German Catholics in America voted for Democratic presidential candidates. The Irish also increasingly controlled the Democratic Party machinery in major cities. The distinct Catholic vote in the North was influenced by cultural issues such as prohibition and foreign language schools.
In summary, the history of Catholicism in the US has been characterized by regional differences, with the North experiencing larger Catholic populations and greater political influence, while the South remained predominantly Protestant and evangelical.
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The Democratic Party
In the 1890s, Catholics in the United States tended to support the Democratic Party. This was in part due to the anti-Catholic sentiment of the time, which was expressed by the nativist Know-Nothing movement of the 1850s and revived by the American Protective Association in the 1890s. The Know-Nothing movement, also known as the American Party or the Native American Party, sought to unite native-born Protestants against the perceived threat of Catholic immigrants to their economic and political security.
In contrast, the Democratic Party was seen as a protector of Catholics and other liturgical groups from pietistic moralism, particularly on issues such as prohibition and foreign language schools. This was especially true in the North, where about 50% of voters were pietistic Protestants who favoured the use of government to reduce social sins like drinking. In the South, Catholics and Protestants voted similarly, with race as the main dividing line.
It is worth noting that the Catholic vote in the United States became more bipartisan starting in the 1960s, with many Catholics abandoning their traditional affiliation with the Democratic Party to support the Republican Party.
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The Republican Party
In the 1890s, the American Protective Association, a nativist movement, was largely unsupported by major politicians or cultural leaders. However, it was a product of anti-Catholic sentiment among Lutheran and Irish Protestant immigrants. In the same period, the Democratic Party was influenced by Irish Catholic politicians in major cities like Boston and New York.
In the late 19th century, the Democrats denounced the Republicans as "Know Nothings" to secure German votes in Wisconsin's Bennett Law campaign in 1890. This culture war extended to Illinois in 1892, where Democrat John Peter Altgeld criticised the Republicans for their nativist and xenophobic stance.
It is important to note that the political landscape evolved over time, and by the 1960s, Catholics began to shift their support from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. This shift was evident in the increase in Catholic votes for Nixon in the 1968 and 1972 elections.
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The Know-Nothing Party
The party's platform was characterized by its opposition to immigration and its desire to restrict the rights of immigrants. They supported the deportation of foreign beggars and criminals, a lengthy 21-year naturalization period for immigrants, and sought to exclude foreign-born individuals from voting or holding public office. Additionally, they advocated for mandatory Bible reading in schools and the removal of Catholics from public office.
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Catholic influence in politics
In the United States, the Catholic Church has had a complex and evolving relationship with politics, especially during the 1890s. While the Church officially upholds the separation of church and state, its influence on the political landscape, including the voting behaviour of Catholics and the positions taken by Catholic leaders, has been significant.
During the Third Party System, which lasted from the 1850s to the 1890s, religious divisions played a crucial role in shaping political alliances. In the North, Methodists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Scandinavian Lutherans, and other Protestant pietists were closely associated with the GOP. In contrast, liturgical groups, particularly Catholics, Episcopalians, and German Lutherans, tended to support the Democratic Party. This alignment was driven by a desire for protection from pietistic moralism, especially regarding issues like prohibition and foreign language schools.
However, it is important to note that in the South, Catholics and Protestants voted similarly, with race often being the primary dividing line rather than religious affiliation. The Democratic Party, in particular, had to navigate these complexities, as it received support from both liturgical groups in the North and Catholics in the South, who may have had differing priorities and concerns.
The 1890s also witnessed a resurgence of anti-Catholic sentiment in the form of the American Protective Association. However, this movement failed to gain significant traction among major politicians or cultural leaders. Instead, it was largely driven by Lutheran and Irish Protestant immigrants, particularly those associated with Orange Lodges from Canada.
During this period, the Catholic Church actively worked to enhance its cultural status by establishing lay fraternities and prominent colleges, including Boston College, the College of Holy Cross, and the University of Notre Dame. These efforts contributed to the Church's influence in academic circles and intellectual discourse.
In terms of voting behaviour, Catholics in the 1890s were not a monolithic bloc, and their political affiliations could vary based on regional and cultural factors. While there was a notable presence of Catholics in the Democratic Party, especially in major cities like Boston and New York, the complexities of the political landscape meant that Catholic voters could be found across different parties.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Catholics tended to support the Democratic Party.
Catholics in the US did not always support the Democratic Party. In the 1850s, anti-Catholic sentiment led to the creation of the nativist Know-Nothing Party, which sought to defend the traditional religious and political values of native-born Protestants. However, by the 1860 election, the party was no longer a serious national political movement.
Yes, the American Protective Association of the 1890s was an anti-Catholic movement that began in 1887 in Clinton, Iowa. The Populist Party, which emerged in the early 1890s, also had members who were influential in the American Protective Association.
While the Republican Party was formed in opposition to the nativist and pro-slavery positions of the Democratic Party, there is no indication that Catholics widely supported them in the 1890s. In fact, in the 1896 election, most members of the Populist Party, which had absorbed many Catholics, were absorbed by the Bryan wing of the Democratic Party.
Yes, in 1928, anti-Catholic sentiment was a rallying point for opponents of Democrat Al Smith, the first Roman Catholic to gain a major party's nomination for president.
