America's Dark and Not Very Distant History of Hating Catholics

Editorial cartoon showing bishops as crocodiles attacking public schools,
with the collusion of Irish Catholic politicians, Thomas Nast, 1876

There is an excellent article appearing in, of all places, the Guardian (U.K.), entitled "America's dark and not-very-distant history of hating Catholics".  I would hasten to add that anti-Catholic sentiment today is growing in light of gay "marriage," the abandonment of sexual mores, and the discrimination against, and criminalization of Christianity in general. An excerpt:

Pope Francis is expected to be greeted with huge crowds and across-the-board reverence when he tours Washington, New York and Philadelphia during his first visit as pontiff to the United States.

The rapture, however, will not change the awkward – and largely forgotten fact – that for centuries the US discriminated against Catholics.

The land of immigrants enshrined freedom of religion in the constitution yet spent much of its history despising, harassing and marginalizing Catholics.

From the first Puritan settlers to televangelists, leading political, business and religious figures lambasted followers of Rome as theological abominations and traitorous fifth columnists. ...

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When you look back at the true, hidden history of the United States this strand of anti-Catholicism is very powerful.

— Kenneth Davis, historian and commentator.