Figure 1.--These boys lived in Evergreen, a village in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. The Catholic Diocese of Alexandria established the Mission of Little Flower in Evergreen (1928). The first resident priest wwas not sent there until 1934. Here we can see a group of altar boys in front of the church altar. They are wearing the usual cassocks with white surplices, but they are barefoot. The photo was taken at Little Flower church in Evergreen during summer 1951. The names of the altar boys are: front row, left to right: Harold Aymond, Edmond Dugas, Ronnie Galland, Emerick Bordelon; back row: Philip Bordelon, Ralph Juneau, Earl Jounau. It is notable that even in 1951 these boys were serving Mass in bare feet.

America was settled as a Protestant country. There were some Catholics in Maryland, but America in the early-19th century was a predominantly Protestant country. It was not until the Irish Potato Famine (1840s) that large number of Catlholics came to America. The Irish while largely of rural origins, primarily settled in the major cities of the northeast. The Mexican-American War (1845-46) brought large numbers of Catholic in what is now the southwests. The numbers of Catholics increased significantly in the late-19th century with the arrival of Italians and eastern Europeans such as the Poles. Many of these immigrants settled in the rising American industrial cities of the northeast and midwest. There were relatively few Catholics in the northwest and southeast of the United States. The south continued to be predominately Protestant into the 20th century. There were some Catholics in Maryland and Louisiana. Maryland Catholics descended from the original settlers. Louisana Catholics are commonly referred to as Cajuns. They are descendents of the Acadians (French settlers of eastern Canada) who were expelled by the British (1750s). Since World War II, the Catholic population has become much more difused througout the country. This process has developed even more in the late-1990s and early-20s with increasing Hispanic minority migration.

Specific Regions

America was settled as a Protestant country. There were some Catholics in Maryland, but America in the early-19th century was a predominantly Protestant country. The first Catholics to arrive in large numbers were the Irush who settled in the northeastern cities. The Mexican-American War (1845-46) brought large numbers of Catholic in what is now the southwest. After the Civil War, large numbers of Europeans began emigrating to America. Many came from Catholic southern Europe. The largest group was the Italians. They primarily settled in the industrial cities of the northeast and midwest. For many years, few Catholics settled in the southeast which remained ardently Protestant.

Northeast

The first English colony in the Northeadt was Plymouth. It was settled by religious dusenters--the Pilgrims called Puritans in England. The Puritans objected to the establish English. They considered the Catholics to be evil incarnate. As a result, there were very few Catholics in the notth east in the colonial era when under English law they were denied many basic civil rights. Expanding religious freddom under Constitutional guarantees ended any legal imediments to being Catholic, but social attitudes changed more slowly. It was not until the Irish Potato Famine (1840s) that large number of Catlholics came to America. The motive was famine and death, not a desire to live in Protestant America. The Irish while largely of rural origins, primarily settled in the major cities of the northeast. For many Americans at the time, the Irish were a shock. The result was the growth of anti-immigrant abnd anti-Catholic sentiment redlected in the Know Nothing Party. Large numbers of immigrants followed the Irish after the Civil War, including many Catholics from southern Europe.

Southwest

The Mexican-American War (1845-46) through the Mexican Cesation brought large numbers of Catholic in what is now the southwest. The first generation of Mexican Americans phrase it today as, "We did not cross the border, the border crossed us." Northern Mexico had, however, been lightly populated and thus the actual number of Cathloics was limited. Even so, the Southwest had the largest proportion of Catholics of any region of the country. Despite this, the intense anti-Catholic feeling prevalent in the South was never as prominant in the Southwest. And Mexican culture ans cusine had and enormous cultural ikmpact on the Southwest. The combination of Mexican Catholics, Irish immigrants, and native born catholics (Louisiana and Maryland) meant that in the 1850 Census that Catholics were the largest religious denomination in the country, primarily because Protestants were divided into many different churches. We have little information at this time as to how Mexican Catholics were treated in the Nexican Cesation. The Constitution limited legal descrimination. As far as I know they became U.S, citizens. There was no supression of Catholocism. There was not substantial migration back to Mexico after the War. And as a result of the Civil War the 15th Amendment guaranteed full citizenship and voting rights. The huge Spanish land grants did not hold up in U.S. courts. For working class Mexicans the War did not make a huge difference. The Mexican Government was dominated by land owners and society did not opperate in the best interests of the working people and compesino. These inequities eventually led to the Mexican Revolution. Ironically, as a result of anti-clerical elements in the the Mexican Revolution, the Catholic Church in Mexico was persecuted more than it had been in the Protestant United States. Thus despite descrimination in America, most Mexican-Americans built more prosperous lives in America than was possible in Mexico itself. And this process became more prominant as anti-Catholic feeling gradually declined in America.

Midwest

The numbers of Catholics increased significantly with the immigration in the late-19th century. At vthis time the Italians and eastern Europeans such as the Poles began arriving in America. Many of these immigrants settled in the rising American industrial cities of the northeast and midwest. Chicago which did not exist in the early-19th century became by the end of the century a huge triving methropolis with large populations of European ethnics, including Irish and Italian and other Catholic ethnics. Other mid-western cities, but not the surrounding rural areas, had large Catholic populations. The specific ethnic mix varied from city to city. The Mid-west along with the Siuth was referred to as the Bible Belt. This of course meant the Protestant Bible Belt, but vthis was because of the small towns and rural area, not the big cities which many Protestants at the time looked on as Sodom and Gomora.

Southeast

There were relatively few Catholics in the northwest and southeast of the United States. The south continued to be predominately Protestant into the 20th century. Southern Protestants became ardently anti-Catholic. Catholics along with Jews were also targeted by the Ku-Klux-Klan. There were some Catholics in Florida (a former Spanish possession), Maryland, and Louisiana (a former Frennch-Possession). Maryland Catholics descended from the original settlers. Louisana Catholics are commonly referred to as Cajuns. They are descendents of the Acadians (French settlers of eastern Canada) who were expelled by the British (1750s). Well into the 20th century, there were few Catholics in the Southeast outside of Maryland and Louisiana. Italian-Americans make up a significant portion of south Louisiana's total population. Many arrived at the port of New Orleans from southern Italy, especially Apulia and Calabria, and from Sicily in the years after the Civil War. They found work often as plantation workers, replacing the newly freed slaves. As soon as possible they sent for their families. Children often worked alongside parents in the cane fields. Gradually they moved out into better paying activities. Some saved enough to buy small farms, something they could have never done if they had stayed in Italy. We note the Italian Catholic Congregation of Our Lady of Pompeii Church in Tickfaw. Louisiana. These CItaisans went into strawberry farming.

Dufusion

Since World War II, the Catholic population has become much more difused througout the country. A part of this process was rising ibcome levels and the mocement out of the inter-cities into the suburbs. This process has developed even more in the late-1990s and early-20s with increasing Hispanic minority migration.

Created: 3:44 AM 2/20/2009
Last updated: 8:25 PM 1/16/2012