While perhaps the case for a Catholic American founding is overstated, this article is an important reminder of the Catholic history and influence that has been with America, even before it's well-known protestant founding. I do think it's safe to say that America as we know it today was primarily born of British protestants, but it would be completely wrongheaded to ignore the vast influence that Catholicism had. Traditional Western thought and political philosophy were shaped by Catholicism, the earliest European explorers to America were Catholic, and even among the early founders there were a few Catholics. Politically-minded Catholics should keep this in mind, as this article urges.
Michael, interesting take but I disagree. Columbus' motives for coming to the Americas was not in any way a project of political founding, let alone a Catholic one. He was in fact hoping to land in India, make contact with the Grand Khan, and convert him to the Christian faith in order to ally him with the Spanish Crown. Columbus hoped the Grand Khan would provide gold and material aid to Spain to help with the reconquest of Jerusalem. His main goal was not actually evangelism (although this was good and sincere), and it certainly wasn't to establish a new people or political entity; it was a religious-commerical alliance for the purpose of retaking Jerusalem from the Mamluks. By the way, I don't fault Columbus for this, and I wish he had succeeded.
But I think it's beyond reasonable assessment to call his landing and exploration of the Caribbean a "Catholic founding" of what we now consider "America." The Caribbean is a world apart from the Atlantic seaboard. Besides, New France even at its height barely numbered 70,000 inhabitants by 1755, less than 5% of the 1.5 million Protestants in the eastern colonies at that time. The French/Spanish attempts to settle America were definitely defeated by the Anglo-American alliance, and thus the America that emerged in 1776 and 1789 drew directly from its Protestant colonial heritage, not anything Catholic. I would dispute your characterization of the Puritans in both their theology and political beliefs, but that would take us far afield.
I admire your attempt to remake America in your image. This ambition never seems to die with Americas of all types. I'll keep reading here because I'm genuinely curious of your position. I might comment here and there as I have time.
While perhaps the case for a Catholic American founding is overstated, this article is an important reminder of the Catholic history and influence that has been with America, even before it's well-known protestant founding. I do think it's safe to say that America as we know it today was primarily born of British protestants, but it would be completely wrongheaded to ignore the vast influence that Catholicism had. Traditional Western thought and political philosophy were shaped by Catholicism, the earliest European explorers to America were Catholic, and even among the early founders there were a few Catholics. Politically-minded Catholics should keep this in mind, as this article urges.
I would say Protestant America started in 1607 with the founding of Jamestown not 1776.
Michael, interesting take but I disagree. Columbus' motives for coming to the Americas was not in any way a project of political founding, let alone a Catholic one. He was in fact hoping to land in India, make contact with the Grand Khan, and convert him to the Christian faith in order to ally him with the Spanish Crown. Columbus hoped the Grand Khan would provide gold and material aid to Spain to help with the reconquest of Jerusalem. His main goal was not actually evangelism (although this was good and sincere), and it certainly wasn't to establish a new people or political entity; it was a religious-commerical alliance for the purpose of retaking Jerusalem from the Mamluks. By the way, I don't fault Columbus for this, and I wish he had succeeded.
But I think it's beyond reasonable assessment to call his landing and exploration of the Caribbean a "Catholic founding" of what we now consider "America." The Caribbean is a world apart from the Atlantic seaboard. Besides, New France even at its height barely numbered 70,000 inhabitants by 1755, less than 5% of the 1.5 million Protestants in the eastern colonies at that time. The French/Spanish attempts to settle America were definitely defeated by the Anglo-American alliance, and thus the America that emerged in 1776 and 1789 drew directly from its Protestant colonial heritage, not anything Catholic. I would dispute your characterization of the Puritans in both their theology and political beliefs, but that would take us far afield.
I admire your attempt to remake America in your image. This ambition never seems to die with Americas of all types. I'll keep reading here because I'm genuinely curious of your position. I might comment here and there as I have time.