Anti-Catholic Sentiment in 19th Century America
The Contradictory American Identity in the Eyes of Nativists
Lauren Krueger
Professor Schneider
WR150 Writing and Research Seminar
6 January 2015
As far back as the 1800’s, America has been defined as a nation of immigrants, or a “melting pot”. During this century, millions of foreign-born people entered the ports of the United States, seeking work, political refuge, and religious freedom. Immigrants from Europe came in massive waves. As immigration rates increased, a group now known as nativists emerged, who, although of European stock, antagonized the newer Irish Catholic immigrants. Examining the opposition towards Irish immigrants furthers our understanding of nativists’ idea of their ‘American’ community by revealing what this sentiment was based on and why. As seen in political cartoons of the age, Irish Catholic immigrants were presented as and consequently viewed as threats to the national community based on the principle that America’s exceptionalism was founded on its powerful ideals set by the first European Protestants in the colonial period. This principle is essential to understand, as it has a continuing influence in American foreign policy to this day. The ideals held by the nativists were embellished with powerful titles such as “Protestantism”, “republicanism”, etc. but remained ambiguous. Historian Michael W. Hughey details this by explaining that “Americanism cannot be easily defined in terms of what it is, it has often been defined in terms of what it is not-i.e., with reference to those who are presumed to be its enemies”.1 In the mid-19th century, nativists were especially hostile to the Irish Catholic immigrants as they were viewed as fundamentally un-American, due to their their supposed allegiance to their home countries and the Roman Catholic church. Nativists believed immigrants would maintain views that would alter an already established ‘culture’, concerning facets such as the public education system, social morality,
Lauren Krueger
Professor Schneider
WR150 Writing and Research Seminar
6 January 2015
As far back as the 1800’s, America has been defined as a nation of immigrants, or a “melting pot”. During this century, millions of foreign-born people entered the ports of the United States, seeking work, political refuge, and religious freedom. Immigrants from Europe came in massive waves. As immigration rates increased, a group now known as nativists emerged, who, although of European stock, antagonized the newer Irish Catholic immigrants. Examining the opposition towards Irish immigrants furthers our understanding of nativists’ idea of their ‘American’ community by revealing what this sentiment was based on and why. As seen in political cartoons of the age, Irish Catholic immigrants were presented as and consequently viewed as threats to the national community based on the principle that America’s exceptionalism was founded on its powerful ideals set by the first European Protestants in the colonial period. This principle is essential to understand, as it has a continuing influence in American foreign policy to this day. The ideals held by the nativists were embellished with powerful titles such as “Protestantism”, “republicanism”, etc. but remained ambiguous. Historian Michael W. Hughey details this by explaining that “Americanism cannot be easily defined in terms of what it is, it has often been defined in terms of what it is not-i.e., with reference to those who are presumed to be its enemies”.1 In the mid-19th century, nativists were especially hostile to the Irish Catholic immigrants as they were viewed as fundamentally un-American, due to their their supposed allegiance to their home countries and the Roman Catholic church. Nativists believed immigrants would maintain views that would alter an already established ‘culture’, concerning facets such as the public education system, social morality,