In this situation it is very likely that some might wonder why Catholics would favor the mostly Protestant American colonies over Great Britain. New England, for example, was a place of rabid anti-Catholicism. The 1700 Mass Act demonstrates this: “it shall be lawful … to cause any person or persons suspected of being a Jesuit, seminary priest, or of the Romish clergy, to be apprehended…. And if such person do not give satisfactory account of himself, he shall be committed to prison in order to a trial.” Indeed, the French and Indian War (1754-63) was promoted as a crusade against papists by the colonists in British America. And even Benjamin Franklin, in 1747, warned of the danger of Catholics in Pennsylvania.

The Quebec Act of 1774, which infuriated colonials as it closed off the area west of the Appalachian mountains to their expansion, also provided a degree of religious freedom to Catholics in Canada, especially in Quebec, something many American colonists found very distasteful. This was voiced by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia on Sept. 17, 1774: “Nor can we suppress our astonishment, that a British Parliament should ever consent to establish in that country [Canada] a religion that has deluged your island [England] in blood, dispersed impiety, bigotry, persecution, murder and rebellion through every part of the world.” Amazingly, this same group would later seek to woo the Canadians to fight against the British!

Why, then, would Catholics want to support the patriot cause in this confrontation with Britain? Like their fellow colonists, they were also subject to the taxes and duties imposed by Parliament. In addition, there was always some hope of establishing something new, that being part of the process could bring about significant changes in the future. In addition, there were some small changes already taking place in some of the colonies. Attacks on Catholicism in print were becoming far fewer; in Pennsylvania, in spite of still being barred from office, Catholics, mainly German, were generally happy; and, by 1776, several of the colonies, including Maryland and Pennsylvania, were allowing some degree of religious freedom, or at least were disestablishing the Church of England.

Most likely Catholics simply followed the lead of their Protestant neighbors, who themselves were divided in support of or opposition to Britain. It was soon to become a very long and exhausting battle for independence, and Catholics were to have a small but important role in this great enterprise.

Now, let us reflect on one of the two members of the Carroll family who demonstrated great support for the American Revolution.

Charles Carroll was born in 1737 at Annapolis, Maryland, of a wealthy Catholic family. He himself became quite wealthy, some historians saying he was the richest man in the colonies. Yet, as a Catholic, he had no political rights. Nonetheless, in 1774, Charles made his views clear to his father: “In a civil war there is and ought to be no neutrality…. I will either endeavor to defend the liberties of my country or die with them.”

On July 1, 1776, the Maryland Convention voted for independence, and Charles was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. While he arrived too late to vote for independence, he did sign the declaration on Aug. 2, 1776, the only Catholic to do so. At his signing another delegate chimed in: “There go a few millions.” Clearly, he was risking his wealth and standing by opposing the King. In addition to that risk, he also provided an extensive amount of financial support to the war effort. He died in Baltimore on Nov. 14, 1832, the last living signatory of the Declaration of Independence, at the age of 95. President Jackson wrote at the time: “none will cherish more sacredly his memory now that he is taken from us by the Great Disposer of the affairs of this world.”

Charles’ cousin, Father John Carroll, was born at Upper Marlborough in Maryland in 1735. In 1753, John joined the Jesuits and was ordained in Belgium in 1761 where he stayed and taught. When Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Jesuits in 1773, Father John returned to his family home from which he ministered as a secular priest as best he could along with the other former Jesuits currently living in the American colonies.

Father Carroll became more involved with the independence movement when the Continental Congress, on Feb. 15, 1776, authorized a mission to Canada to convince their northern neighbors to join them in opposition to Britain and become the 14th colony. Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Chase, and Charles Carroll of Carrollton were appointed to this mission. Charles asked that his cousin, Father John, also be appointed since he might be able to convince the Bishop of Quebec, Jean-Olivier Briand, to bring the Quebec Catholics to the American side. Father Carroll feared mixing religion with politics and also felt that the Americans should be content with Canadian neutrality if that could be attained. 

Nonetheless, Father Carroll joined the band as they left New York on April 2, 1776. On April 29^th, they arrived at Montreal, and Father Carroll sensed failure immediately. He and Franklin left Montreal together on May 11. Franklin wrote from New York at the end of the journey: “I find I grow more feeble, and think I could hardly have got along so far but for Mr. [Father] Carroll’s friendly assistance and tender care of me.” Father Carroll was to become the first Bishop of Baltimore in 1789.