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In the middle of the nineteenth century a group of political activists in New York City joined together to challenge a religious group they believed were hostile to the American values of liberty and freedom. Called the Know Nothings, they started riots during elections, tarred and feathered their political enemies, and barred men from employment based on their religion. The group that caused this uproar?: Irish and German Catholics—then known as the most villainous religious group in America, and widely believed to be loyal only to the Pope. It would take another hundred years before Catholics threw off these xenophobic accusations and joined the American mainstream. The idea that the United States is a stronghold of religious freedom is central to our identity as a nation—and utterly at odds with the historical record.



About the Author

Peter Gottschalk

Peter Gottschalk writes both about Islamophobia in the United States and about Hindu-Muslim relations in India. At the heart of his work is a fascination with the dynamics of cultural interpretation and conflict. He is interested particularly in understanding how assumptions of mutual antagonism form between groups despite evidence of commonalities.Peter enjoys presenting on these topics and has discussed them in the U.S., Europe, Turkey, India, and Bangladesh at colleges and universities, professional conferences, public events, and religious communities. He has appeared on CNN, Voice of America, and National Public Radio, while his work has been mentioned in USA Today, The New York Times, and the On Faith website of The Washington Post.Peter is Professor of Religion at Wesleyan University. He received his B.A. in History at the College of the Holy Cross, his M.A. in South Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his Ph.D. in the History of Religions from the University of Chicago.



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