Romanism
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Romanism is a derogatory term for Roman Catholicism[1] used when anti-Catholicism was more common in the United States. The word was first attested in 1603.[1]
The term was frequently used in late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century Republican invectives against the Democrats, as part of the slogan "Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion" (referencing the Democratic Party's constituency of Southerners and anti-Temperance, frequently Catholic, working-class immigrants). A book titled "The Three Keys to Hell; or, Rum, Romanism and Ruin" was published in 1915.[2] The term and slogan gained particular prominence in the 1884 presidential campaign and again in 1928, in which the Democratic candidate was the outspokenly anti-Prohibition Catholic Governor of New York Al Smith.
In Northern Ireland, the term was also used by Democratic Unionist Party founder Ian Paisley in anti-Catholic speeches.[3]
See also
References
- Back to citation occurrence 1.0 Back to citation occurrence 1.1 "Definition of ROMANISM". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- Back to citation Coleman, Frances (2022-01-28). "100 years: not so long ago and not all that different". al. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- Back to citation "Rev Ian Paisley 1966 – YouTube". YouTube.
Further reading
- Is Romanism Christianity? (1917) by T.W. Medhurst (from The Fundamentals)
- Romanism and the Reformation (1881) by Henry Grattan Guinness
- The Bible and Romanism – the window-dressing continues (2000), by Arthur Noble