How the American Revolution changed the future of Catholics in America

As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, the nation’s founding offers a reminder that one of the beneficiaries of the American Revolution was a religious minority once viewed with deep suspicion: Catholics.

Long before the First Amendment guaranteed the free exercise of religion, in many of Britain’s American colonies, Catholics were barred from holding public office, restricted from voting, and often prohibited from openly practicing their faith. Anti-Catholic laws , rooted in centuries of conflict between England and the Catholic Church, left many Catholics viewed with suspicion, their loyalty questioned simply because of their faith.

Yet within a generation, a Catholic priest would become the first bishop of the United States, a Catholic would sign the Declaration of Independence, and the nation’s first president would push Congress to officially recognize and authorize Catholic and Protestant chaplains.

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, historians say the American Revolution marked a dramatic turning point for religious liberty — especially for Catholics.

Washington’s push for chaplains When Gen. George Washington assumed…