1842 and thereafter

1.

In early 1840's, New York dithered over whether to continue the prevailing policy of handing out public funds to any and all schools that applied for the money, or whether to start their own schools. When Catholics came asking for funding for their schools, the legislature changed the system. (This is referred to by Kloss as the ``1842 Landmark New York Decision.") After this landmark New York 1842 decision, prevailing policy spread to most other states: secular state public elementary schools. While bible reading continued until 1948, prayer in schools was gradually outlawed. (Issue continues to be a hot button issue even today).

2.

In most places Protestants accepted secular state schools and have not asked for state help with their parochial schools, but Catholics have persisted in asking for funds, claiming their members are poorer. Asked for help with books, busing, secular subjects, buildings. Poughkeepsie compromise: Catholics built building, supplied teacher, but state subsidized ``secular" portions of curriculum, paying teacher's salary for that portion.

3.

1840's: rise of xenophobia, nativism : Native-American Party, Know-Nothing Party 1855; were against (among other things) parochial schools. The movie Gangs of New York depicts some of this xenophobia.

4.

The Catholic hierarchy was predominantly Irish (i.e. English-speaking), wanted no `foreign' languages and wanted to outlaw `private' parochial schools, make Catholic schools state supported. Would eliminate German, Polish, Italian, French schools systems, change image of RC church from `foreign' to American. Irish hierarchy colluded with nativistic elements. Wanted ``compromise" schools-state funded, but Catholic/Protestant (a solution adopted in the Netherlands, e.g.) This compromise formula was a threat to e.g. conservative German Catholics as well as German Freidenker (atheist) parochial/private non-English schools.