On this episode of Our American Stories, The First Amendment promised freedom of religion, but the reality in America was not always simple. In the nineteenth century, Catholics faced discrimination in politics, education, and public life.

Archbishop John Hughes emerged as one of the most forceful defenders of American Catholics. Called “Dagger John” for the cross he signed before his name, Hughes fought for the right of Catholic families to educate their children and practice their faith without interference, setting the stage for modern religious freedom. Richard Daniel McCann, author of Hughes: Lion of American Catholicism, shares the story.

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