Michael Brooks
The American Protective Association (APA) was an anti-Catholic organization founded in 1887 in Clinton, Iowa, by attorney Henry Francis Bowers and seven other men. It was the largest anti-Catholic movement in the United States during the late 19th century, aiming to defend true Americanism and counter the growing influence of Roman Catholic immigrants and the Catholic Church in America. The APA advocated for immigration restrictions, a free public school system, and opposed the election of Catholics to public offices. They distributed anti-Catholic literature, including forged documents, and promoted fear of Catholics among the Protestant population. The organization took an active part in elections, supporting candidates from main parties who aligned with its agenda. While claiming a membership of 2.5 million, historians estimate the APA's actual membership was around 100,000, and it declined rapidly in the late 1890s due to internal dissension.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Religion | Catholicism |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| Belief | Authority of the Pope in Rome |
| Protection | The Maryland Assembly passed the Toleration Act to protect Roman Catholics against Protestant harassment and discrimination |
| Opposition | The American Protective Association (APA), an anti-Catholic secret society established in 1887 by Protestants |
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What You'll Learn
- The American Protective Association (APA) was a secret society
- APA was the largest anti-Catholic organisation in the US in the 19th century
- APA aimed to defend true Americanism and fight Catholic Church power
- APA advocated for immigration restrictions and a free public school system
- APA members took an oath never to vote for, or employ, Catholics
The American Protective Association (APA) was a secret society
The American Protective Association (APA), founded in 1887, was a secret society established to counter the growing presence and influence of Roman Catholic immigrants in the United States. It was the largest anti-Catholic organisation in the country during the late 19th century.
The APA was formed in Clinton, Iowa, by attorney Henry Francis Bowers and seven other men, including the defeated former mayor, Arnold Walliker, and his brother. The society was created in response to the recent electoral defeat of Walliker, which was blamed on the organised efforts of Roman Catholics in the local labour movement. Bowers was elected the group's first "Supreme President". The APA's purpose was to defend "true Americanism" and fight the increasing power of the Catholic Church in America, which they viewed as a foreign organisation with international designs.
The organisation appealed primarily to conservative working-class Protestants who perceived the growing Catholic population as a threat to their values, economic status, and political influence. The APA advocated for immigration restrictions, a free public school system to counter the growth of parochial schools, and a slower naturalisation process for immigrants. All members took an oath never to vote for a Catholic, never to employ a Catholic if a Protestant was available, and never to go on strike with a Catholic worker.
The APA distributed anti-Catholic literature and forged documents, including purported purported "instructions to Catholics" and a false Papal encyclical, to promote fear and distrust of Catholics. They also opposed the election of Catholics to public offices and took an active part in mid-term and off-year elections, supporting candidates from the main parties who agreed with its agenda, particularly those of the Republican Party. Despite its efforts, the APA failed to establish any significant changes in laws or government policies and collapsed abruptly after the election of 1896.
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APA was the largest anti-Catholic organisation in the US in the 19th century
The American Protective Association (APA) was the largest anti-Catholic organisation in the US in the 19th century. It was established in 1887 by Protestants in Clinton, Iowa, as an anti-Catholic secret society. The APA was formed in response to the growing presence and influence of Roman Catholic immigrants in the United States, particularly in large cities, and sought to protect the country from the Catholic Church, which they viewed as a foreign entity with international ambitions.
The APA's primary goal was to combat Catholic political influence, which they believed was a threat to American society and values. They were particularly concerned about Roman Catholic influence in the public school system, the increasing number of Catholic government employees, and what they perceived as growing Catholic control of political establishments in major American cities. The organisation advocated for immigration restrictions and a slower naturalisation process for immigrants to limit the number of Catholics in the country.
The APA grew rapidly during the early 1890s, with a significant presence in the Midwest and West. This growth was fuelled by the circulation of forged documents, including purported "instructions to Catholics" advising them against keeping faith with non-Catholics and a false Papal encyclical calling for the extermination of non-Catholics. The APA also sponsored lecture tours and developed its own press, using propaganda and unauthenticated quotes to spread fear and distrust of Catholics. They often took credit for Republican victories, such as the election of John W. Griggs as governor of New Jersey, by highlighting their opponents' support for Catholic protection bills.
The organisation appealed primarily to conservative working-class Protestants, who felt threatened by the increasing Catholic population and its growing economic and political influence. Members of the APA took an oath never to vote for a Catholic, employ a Catholic over a Protestant, or participate in strikes with Catholic workers. While the APA did not form its own political party, it sought to exert influence by supporting candidates from existing parties who aligned with its agenda. It claimed to have had an impact on elections in New Jersey, Upstate New York, and various midwestern states during the mid-1890s.
Despite its rapid rise, the APA collapsed abruptly after the 1896 election due to internal dissension. The death of its founder, Henry F. Bowers, in 1911 marked the end of the organisation. The APA's anti-Catholic stance contributed to the failures of economic reform and mass working-class political movements during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as it inadvertently bolstered a more laissez-faire form of corporate and financial capitalism that the group had initially opposed.
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APA aimed to defend true Americanism and fight Catholic Church power
The American Protective Association (APA) was an anti-Catholic organisation founded in 1887 by attorney Henry Francis Bowers and seven other men. The group was a secret society with uniforms and rituals, and its primary goal was to defend "true Americanism" and counter the growing influence of the Catholic Church in the United States.
The APA's formation was spurred by the increasing presence and influence of Roman Catholic immigrants in the country during the late 19th century. Many of these immigrants were working-class and settled in the cities, particularly in the Midwest. The APA aimed to protect what it saw as traditional American values and culture from the perceived threat of Catholic influence. They believed that Catholics were under the complete political control of the Pope, and that this loyalty to a foreign entity was a danger to the nation.
The APA advocated for various measures to limit Catholic influence, including immigration restrictions, a free public school system to counter parochial schools, and a slower naturalization process for immigrants. Members of the APA took an oath never to vote for a Catholic, never to employ a Catholic if a Protestant was available, and never to strike with a Catholic worker. They also opposed further grants of federal money to Catholic Indian schools and the acceptance of the Marquette statue by Congress.
The organisation grew rapidly in the early 1890s, with a peak membership of around 100,000 dues-paying members and a claimed membership of 2.5 million. They published around 70 weekly newspapers and distributed anti-Catholic literature, including forged documents designed to promote fear and distrust of Catholics. The APA also played a role in various elections, supporting candidates from the main parties who agreed with its agenda, particularly those of the Republican Party. However, despite its influence, the APA ultimately failed to implement any significant changes to laws or government policies.
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APA advocated for immigration restrictions and a free public school system
The American Protective Association (APA) was an American anti-Catholic organisation established in 1887 by Protestants. It was the largest anti-Catholic movement in the United States during the late 19th century, with particular regional strength in the Midwest. The APA was concerned about the growing political power of Catholic immigrants and aimed to restrict Catholic influence in American society, specifically targeting Catholic control over the public school system and advocating for immigration restrictions.
The APA's program and stated aims reflected their advocacy for a free, non-sectarian public school system and immigration restrictions. They believed that "non-sectarian free public schools" were crucial for defending "true Americanism" and countering the influence of parochial schools. The APA opposed the employment of individuals with "un-American ecclesiastical power" as teachers or administrators in public schools. They also supported the perpetual" separation of Church and State and called for the prohibition of government grants or special privileges to sectarian bodies.
In terms of immigration, the APA advocated for tighter standards in immigration and naturalization laws. They cited immigration figures from the 1880s, which indicated that a significant proportion of immigrants to America during that decade were Roman Catholic. The APA argued that the majority of lower-class immigrants were Roman Catholic and linked them to various criminal activities. They promoted longer residency requirements for citizenship, with some APA members calling for a minimum of seven years of continuous residence in the United States for immigrants to be naturalized or allowed to vote. Additionally, the APA supported English language proficiency requirements for immigrants.
The APA also played an active role in various elections, including the mid-term election of 1894 and the off-year elections of 1895. They often supported candidates from the main parties who aligned with their agenda, particularly targeting the Republican Party. The APA claimed credit for several Republican victories and boasted of having influenced the election of certain governors and the outcome of elections in specific regions.
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APA members took an oath never to vote for, or employ, Catholics
The American Protective Association (APA) was an anti-Catholic organisation founded in 1887 by Protestants. It was the largest anti-Catholic movement in the United States during the late 19th century, with particular regional strength in the Midwest. The APA was concerned about the growing influence of the Catholic Church in America, especially in politics and education. They aimed to defend "true Americanism" and counter the rise of parochial schools by advocating for a free public school system.
The APA sought to exert influence by supporting candidates from the main parties who agreed with its agenda, particularly those of the Republican Party. They also distributed anti-Catholic literature, including forged documents, to promote fear and distrust of Catholics. One such document was a set of purported “instructions to Catholics" advising them not to "keep faith with heretics". Another was an alleged Papal encyclical calling for Catholics to "exterminate all heretics".
As part of their membership oath, APA members vowed never to vote for or employ Catholics. They also promised to endeavour "to place the political position of this government in the hands of Protestants to the entire exclusion of the Roman Catholics". This oath reflects the APA's belief that Catholics posed a threat to their values and political influence. The organisation appealed primarily to conservative working-class Protestants who felt threatened by the growing Catholic population and its increasing economic and political power.
The APA's greatest national success occurred in 1893 and 1894, where they capitalised on the fear of Catholic success in national and local elections. They also played a dominant role in the organisation of a convention of patriotic organisations to coordinate efforts in the 1896 electoral campaign. However, the APA collapsed abruptly after the 1896 election, and its leader, Henry F. Bowers, passed away in 1911, effectively marking the end of the organisation.
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Frequently asked questions
The APA was an anti-Catholic secret society founded in 1887 by Protestants. It was the largest anti-Catholic movement in the US during the late 19th century.
The APA aimed to defend "true Americanism" and counter the growing power of the Catholic Church in America. They opposed Catholic influence in politics, the public school system, and immigration.
The APA distributed anti-Catholic literature, including forged documents, to stir up fear and distrust of Catholics. They also endorsed and supported political candidates who agreed with their agenda, particularly those from the Republican Party.
The APA had its greatest influence in the mid-1890s, claiming credit for several Republican victories in the 1894 and 1895 elections. They also successfully opposed federal funding for Catholic Indian schools and prevented the acceptance of the Marquette statue in Congress.
The APA began to decline in the late 1890s due to internal dissension and effectively ended with the death of its founder, Henry F. Bowers, in 1911.
