As the US prepares for its 250th Independence anniversary, historians are bringing back to the spotlight the founding documents that define the nation's early ideals. Among them, the little-known 1790 correspondence between the first Catholic bishop of the US, John Carroll, and President George Washington is drawing attention.
Dr. Kevin Butterfield, Acting Chief of the Library of Congress Manuscript Division, said Washington spent the year 1790 connecting with the nation. Butterfield noted that Washington believed it was important for the people to interact directly with him as the new president and to see the new government in action.
While Washington toured the states in his first year as president, letters poured in from religious communities, civic organizations, and local groups seeking assurance about their place in the new federal government. One of these was a petition from John Carroll and other Catholic leaders in March 1790 asking whether Catholics, long viewed with suspicion under British rule, would be fully included in the new republic.
Michael Breidenbach, Dean of Ave Maria University's Honors College, said the correspondence reminds Americans that Catholics were not just beneficiaries of the nation's founding but also helped shape it. Breidenbach said, "As America approaches its 250th anniversary, there is a heated debate over whether the nation's foundation has Protestant, secular, or other roots. What is often missing from these discussions is the contribution of Catholics to the American founding."
Carroll's letter and demand for equal citizenship
Butterfield noted that Carroll's letter stood out for seeking assurance that Catholics would be fully integrated into the new republic. In his letter, Carroll wrote that as long as the country preserves its freedom and independence, Catholics would have the right to demand equal citizenship rights in return for the blood they shed in the Revolutionary War and their shared defense efforts.
Arizona State University historian Catherine O'Donnell said the British and colonists distrusted Catholics for centuries and believed they were more loyal to Rome than to their countries. O'Donnell said, "Carroll admired Washington his entire life. This letter was sincere and also strategic in a way: Carroll wanted Washington to publicly affirm Catholics' welcome place in the new nation."
Washington's response and the principle of religious freedom
In his response, Washington thanked Catholics for the "patriotic role" they played during the Revolution and wrote that they had "already experienced" the benefits of the general government rather than "waiting for them." Butterfield summarized Washington's message: "As long as you act as a good citizen and obey the laws, it doesn't matter what your religious beliefs are. You are a full part of the nation."
O'Donnell noted that Washington, in his correspondence with different minority religious groups, emphasized the principle of equal rights rather than mere tolerance. In Washington's view, good citizens had the same rights regardless of their religion. At the national level, this was an experiment in religious freedom from the very beginning.
Carroll acted alongside prominent Catholic leaders such as his cousin Charles Carroll, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Daniel Carroll, a signer of the US Constitution. Together, they argued that American Catholics had earned the same citizenship rights through their contributions to the Revolutionary War and the nation's founding.
The document's journey to the present and historical significance
The correspondence survived because Washington understood that his papers would be important for future generations. The collection first passed to his nephew, Supreme Court Justice Bushrod Washington, was purchased by Congress in 1834, and was later transferred from the State Department to the Library of Congress. Carroll's letter is today one of about 77,000 items within the George Washington Papers.
O'Donnell believes the correspondence holds lessons that extend beyond Catholic history. According to her, Washington's belief that good citizenship does not require a specific religious perspective and Carroll's idea that public exchange on important issues can make ideals part of a sense of community remain relevant today. More than two centuries later, this correspondence captures an early moment when one of America's smallest religious minorities asked whether the promises of the revolution applied to them, and the nation's first president answered yes.
