Christianity in the U.S. has been deeply shaped by the Catholic church. It is the largest denomination in the U.S., and nearly the oldest. This is our summary.

 

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THE MISSIONARY ERA

1549 to 1763 AD

 

Era 1. The Spanish Missions in New Mexico

1540 to 1616 AD

1. The Coronado Expedition

2. Early Missionary Efforts

3. Establishing San Juan

4. Our Observations:

1. The Missionaries were coworkers of Murdering Conquerors
2. The Christian Message is associated with Insatiable Greed
3. Christian leaders were comfortable with Human Rights violations

 

Era 2. The Spanish Missions in Florida

1549 to 1763 AD

1. The Colonial Government

2. Early Exploration in Florida

3. Jesuit Missionary Efforts in Florida

4. Franciscan Missionary Efforts in Florida

5. Our Observations:

1. The Missionaries were coworkers of Murdering Conquerors
2. Their Motives were Insincere
3. A Lack of Respect for the Indigenous People

 

Era 3. The English Missions in the Mid-Atlantic Region

Beginning in the 1570s

1. Beginnings

2. The Virginia Colony

3. The Colony of Avalon

4. The Colony of Maryland

5. Troubles

6. Our Observations:

1. Catholics resist sharing their faith
2. Catholics become Agents of Intolerance

 

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR

1775–1783 AD

Era 4. Catholics and the American Revolutionary War

1. The Quebec Act

2. Charles Carroll of Carrollton

3. The Revolutionary War

 

PART 3. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

 

Era 5. Archbishop John Carroll

1774 to 1815 AD

1. Early Years

2. The First Superior of the Missions

3. The First Report to Rome

4. The first Bishop

• Controversy at St. Peter church in New York
• Controversy at Holy Trinity church in Philadelphia
• Petitioning Rome for a bishop
• Consecrated a Bishop

5. Ministry as Bishop

• Selecting his pro-cathedral parish
• Calling the Synod of 1791
• Establishing St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore
• Establishing Mount St. Mary college in Emmitsburg
• The Carmelite Religious Order
• The Religious Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary
• The Religious Order of the Sisters of Charity
• Coadjutor Bishop
• First Archbishop
• Four Suffragan dioceses
• The final years of Archbishop Carroll

 

Era 6. Archbishop Leonard Neale

1815-1817 AD

 

Era 7. Archbishop Ambrose Maréchal

1817 -1828 AD

1. Early Years

2. The Third Bishop

3. The First Report to Rome

4. The Norfolk Trustee Controversy

5. The Diocese of Richmond

6. Trouble in Charleston

7. Conflict with Protestants

 

Era 8. Archbishop James Whitfield

1828-1834 AD

1. Early Years

2. The Fourth Bishop

3. Pastoral Letter

4. The Ursuline Convent Riots

5. Our Observations

1. Christians in the U.S. are wildly susceptible to manipulation by their leaders
2. Christian leaders in the U.S. are prone to abusing their authority to manipulate their people
3. Christians who commit Hate Crimes are unlikely to be Prosecuted

 

Era 9. Archbishop Samuel Eccleston

1834-1851 AD

1. Early Years

2. The Fifth Bishop

3. Sensationalist Anti-Catholic Books

• Lymann Beecher
• Maria Monk
• Rosamond Culbertson
• Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna

4. The Bible Riots

• The May Riot
• The July Riot
• Aftermath

5. Our Observations

1. Christians are capable of Atrocities
2. Christian leaders are prone to abusing their authority to manipulate their people
3. Catholics are a Despised Minority
4. Christians esteem Despicable leaders

 

Era 10. Archbishop Francis Kenrick

1851–1863 AD

1. Early Years

2. The Sixth Bishop

3. Trouble in Louisville

• The growth of the Know-Nothing party
• Popular anti-Catholic speakers
• Election-Day Riots
• Aftermath of the Riots

4. Our Observations

1. The impact of decades of anti-Catholic hatred
2. With Liberty and Justice for Some

 

REFERENCES

Thomas Bokenkotter. A Concise History of the Catholic Church (2004).

Timothy W. Bosworth. “Anti-Catholicism Land.” In Catholic Review, volume 61, pages 539—563.

Joseph P. Donnelly, S.J. “Father Jacques Marquette and the Indians of Upper Michigan.”

Charles H. Metzger, S.J. “Catholics in the Period of the American Revolution.”

Charles H. Metzger, S.J. “Catholics in the Period of the American Revolution.”

Paul Tillich. A History of Christian Thought (1968).

Martin Zielinski. American Catholic Church (2000).

 

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HISTORY – U.S. CATHOLIC

MAJOR ERAS:

1. The Spanish Missions in New Mexico: 1540 to 1616
2. The Spanish Missions in Florida: 1549 to 1763
3. The English Missions in the Mid-Atlantic region: beginning in the 1570s
4. Catholics and the American Revolutionary War: 1775–1783
5. Archbishop John Carroll: 1774-1815
6. Archbishop Leonard Neale: 1815-1817
7. Archbishop Ambrose Maréchal: 1817 -1828
8. Archbishop James Whitfield: 1828 to 1834
9. Archbishop Samuel Eccleston: 1834-1851
10. Archbishop Francis Kenrick: 1851–1863

SEE ALSO: References, Church History

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.

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