IRISH-AMERICAN-L Archives

From: "Jean R." <>
Subject: [IRISH-AMER] Burning of MA Ursuline Convent outside of Boston(1834) -- FENWICK
Date: Sun, 20 May 2007 11:36:28 -0700

SNIPPET: One of the earliest incidents of rising anti-Catholicism in
America was the burning of the Ursuline convent in Charlestown, MA, just
outside of Boston. Rumors were that Protestant girls were being held against
their will inside the convent, which also served as a school to many
children of wealthy Protestant families. Other rumors told of a secret plot
by Irish Catholics to overthrow by force of arms the American republic and
turn it over to the pope. A working-class mob of native-born Americans
attacked the convent and school the night of August 11, 1834. No one was
killed in the incident and wealthy Bostonians rushed to condemn it as the
work of delinquent workers and ruffians. In the trials that followed,
however, all accused rioters were eventually acquitted and Bishop Benedict
FENWICK's efforts to recover damages was also unsuccessful. Fenwick and his
successors left the burned remains of the convent untouched for 40 years as
a grim reminder of the nativist intolerance. When Bishop Fenwick decided to
establish a Catholic college a few years later, he built the College of the
Holy Cross (1843) in Worcester, MA, 40 miles away - just to be on the safe
side.

-- Excerpts, "1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American
History," Edward T. O'Donnell.

This thread:

• [IRISH-AMER] Burning of MA Ursuline Convent outside of Boston(1834) -- FENWICK by "Jean R." <>