The Origins of American Anti-Catholicism

Many colonies established some form of Puritanism or Congregationalism as their official religion. Some colonies would not even tolerate the existence of these religious groups, which is evident in Massachusetts act against Jesuits and Popish priests. Even the colony of Rhode Island forbade Catholics from serving in public office. By the mid-19th century, the Industrial Revolution drew hundreds of thousands of Americans out of the farmlands and into the big city.