The Catholic Church and the American Founding: A 250-Year Legacy

The Catholic Church and the American Founding: A Forgotten Legacy at 250

As the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary, historians are revisiting the critical role Catholics played in securing independence and shaping the Constitution—despite facing deep prejudice in the colonies.

As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, it’s an opportune moment to look back at the storied history of the Church in this country and ask how Catholics today can continue to contribute to the good of the republic .

A Nation Built on ‘Natural Law’

Commentator Michael Knowles, speaking at The Heritage Foundation, argued that the U.S. Constitution may be more closely aligned with Catholic political philosophy than commonly recognized . He suggested the nation’s founding echoes ideas laid out centuries earlier by St. Thomas Aquinas, specifically the concept of the “mixed regime” combining monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy.

“The government that they established is very closely in accord with the ideal regime laid out by St. Thomas Aquinas,” Knowles said, pointing to the Constitution’s balance of executive, legislative, and judicial powers . While he acknowledged that James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were not directly reading Aquinas, Knowles traced the influence through figures like Francisco Suárez and Robert Bellarmine, whose work shaped Protestant theorists and ultimately informed the American founding generation .

Overcoming Anti-Catholic Bias

The Catholic contribution is all the more remarkable given the severe anti-Catholic bias prevalent in the colonies at the time . Catholics were widely presumed dangerous until proven loyal .

Yet they managed to rise to prominent positions. The most famous example is Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence and, incidentally, the signer who outlived all the rest .

Carroll, known as the “First Citizen” of the American Colonies, was also the wealthiest signer, having inherited vast agricultural estates in Maryland . Despite being barred from holding office in Maryland because of his religion, Carroll emerged as a leader of the state's movement for independence . He was a delegate to the Continental Congress and later served as one of the first U.S. Senators for Maryland .

Other Catholic Founders

While Carroll is the most well-known, he was not alone. Daniel Carroll (Charles’ cousin) and Thomas FitzSimmons were the only two Catholics to sign the Constitution . Commodore John Barry, who distinguished himself in the Revolution’s sea battles, was picked by George Washington to head the newly created U.S. Navy .

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Historian Dan LeRoy, in his book Liberty’s Lions, argues that these Catholics did something more remarkable than just support the patriot cause—they helped lead it . LeRoy gathers together the significant contributions of these “statesmen, thinkers, and military leaders” and poses two fundamental questions: What would the Revolution have been like without these Catholics? and Why did they do it? .

The Church’s Philosophical Gifts

Beyond the men themselves, the Catholic Church offered intellectual gifts long before the U.S. was founded . One of the most significant is the concept of the separation of church and state.

In the pagan Roman Empire, religious and political power were fused. Against this, the Church asserted that for the good of both, these powers must be kept distinct—a principle articulated as early as 496 by Pope Gelasius . In great part, the First Amendment was written with the Church of England in mind to prevent the state from corrupting the church .

Another gift is the natural law tradition. By distinguishing between civil law (rooted in human nature) and canon law, the Church laid the groundwork for political life that could be shared by Christians and non-Christians alike . When Thomas Jefferson spoke of “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God,” he was displaying the Founders’ choice to build the nation on natural law rather than directly upon Revelation .

A Legacy of Tolerance

The critical role of Catholics in establishing American church-state separation enjoins us to revise our understanding of the sources of secularism . According to historian Michael Breidenbach, religious liberty in America was not simply a product of a Protestant-driven Enlightenment but was partly defined through the ingenuity of a persecuted minority who emphasized their own church's traditions .

Conclusion

As the United States marks its 250th year, it is worth remembering that Catholics were an improbable community in a country founded by those who did not take kindly to them . Yet, they not only participated in the founding but helped shape its philosophical underpinnings.

In an era of political polarization and rapid social change, the story of the Catholic Church and the American founding serves as a powerful reminder that the nation’s principles are rooted in a deep and diverse intellectual tradition . It also challenges the notion that religious faith and civic duty are incompatible, a theme that resonates just as strongly today as it did in 1776.