American Catholics and the Quest for Equality in the Civil War Era

Abstract

In American Catholics and the Quest for Equality in the Civil War Era, Robert Emmett Curran argues that nineteenth-century America did not offer equal opportunities for Blacks, Native Americans, Jews, Catholics, and women. Curran, a professor emeritus of history at Georgetown University, focuses on Catholics’ pursuit of equality from 1846 to 1877, showcasing their transformation from “internal aliens” to full-fledged citizens, which did not prevent them from seeking to deprive others, especially African Americans, of the same.