The United States is preparing to celebrate its 250th anniversary, and historians are reflecting on the founding-era documents that defined the nation's earliest ideals. Among these documents is a lesser-known exchange between John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop in the United States, and President George Washington.
This correspondence took place in 1790, when Carroll and other Catholic leaders asked Washington whether Catholics, who had long been viewed with suspicion under British rule, would be fully included in the new republic. The answer still remains today, preserved inside the Library of Congress.
Dr. Kevin Butterfield, acting chief of the Library of Congress Manuscript Division, notes that Washington was actively engaging with the nation during his first year in office. "He connected with the people because he believed that it was important as the new president that they interact directly with him and have a chance to see the new government in action," Butterfield said.
As Washington traveled through the states, letters poured in from religious congregations, civic organizations, and local communities seeking reassurance about their place in the new federal government. Among these letters was a March 1790 address from John Carroll and other Catholic leaders, asking whether Catholics would be fully included in the new republic.
Michael Breidenbach, dean of the Honors College at Ave Maria University, emphasizes that Catholics were not merely beneficiaries of the nation's founding; they helped shape it. "As America approaches its 250th anniversary, there is a heated debate about whether the nation's foundation had Protestant, secular, or other roots," he said.
Catholic priests had ministered in the American colonies for generations, but until the Vatican established the Diocese of Baltimore in 1789, there had been no Catholic bishop in the United States. Carroll was consecrated the following year, becoming the country's first bishop.
The letter to Washington sought reassurance that Catholics would be fully included in the new republic. "They were sharing their thoughts about religious liberty and the importance of having a nation where they were included as full citizens," Dr. Butterfield said. Reading from the original manuscript, Dr. Butterfield pointed to the passage that captured the Catholics' appeal.
For centuries before the American Revolution, Catholics in England and many of its colonies faced sweeping restrictions. "It's essential to understand that many English people and colonists mistrusted Catholics," said Catherine O'Donnell, a historian at Arizona State University. "They were thought to be loyal to Rome rather than to their countrymen, and to lack independence of mind."
Washington's response to Carroll's letter left little doubt where he stood. He thanked Catholics for the "patriotic part" they had played during the Revolution and wrote that they were already "realizing, instead of anticipating, the benefits of the general Government." Dr. Butterfield notes that Washington's reply reflected his broader vision for the country.
Washington recognized that every public word he spoke helped define the new republic. "He is fully aware that he is a symbol of the nation, that the words that he speaks have consequences, that every word that he says matters," Dr. Butterfield said.
The correspondence itself survived because Washington understood that his papers would matter to future generations. According to Dr. Butterfield, Washington preserved the collection, leaving it to his nephew, Supreme Court Justice Bushrod Washington. Congress purchased the papers in 1834, and they were later transferred from the State Department to the Library of Congress, where they remain today.
The Carroll letter is now one of roughly 77,000 items in the George Washington Papers. While researchers around the world can consult digitized versions, the original manuscript is only brought out in rare circumstances to preserve it.
Catherine O'Donnell believes the lesson extends beyond Catholic history. "I think that it's valuable for Americans to understand that the history of the founding period contains just about everything: ideals such as religious liberty and prejudices, such as those against Catholics," she said.
O'Donnell also believes the correspondence demonstrates the importance of public leadership. Washington's belief that good citizenship did not require any particular religious views "seems timely," she said, as does Carroll's belief that "public exchanges about important matters can help make ideals part of people's sense of their community, rather than just a theoretical set of rights."
