October 30: The Magna Charta of American Liberty

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is October 30th, and our story is The Magna Carta of American Liberty. In 1685, England had a Catholic king, and New York had a Catholic governor. The king, James II, had appointed the colonial governor, Thomas Dongen, in 1682, before receiving his crown. At the time, James was simply the Duke of York and the colonial proprietor of New York.

Dongen was the son of an Irish baronet, whose family had long supported the claims of James' family, the Stuarts, to the throne. The two became friends during the years Oliver Cromwell ruled England, and the Stuarts and their supporters lived in exile.

By 1682, however, Cromwell was long gone. James' brother Charles II sat on the throne, and James was free to appoint anyone he wished as governor of his colony. After he selected Dongen, he tasked the Irishman with calling an assembly and drawing up a colonial charter. The assembly met in October 1683. Guided by Dongen, they drafted a charter that declared New York's Assembly co-equal to Britain's Parliament, prohibited taxation without representation, and forbade the quartering of soldiers without the people's consent. Described as the Magna Charta of American Liberty, the charter also guaranteed freedom of conscience in religious matters to all who profess faith in God by Jesus Christ.

Dongen signed the New York Charter of Rights on October 30, 1683. James signed it the following year. When he became king in 1685, however, he realized that the charter granted a bit too much authority to the people, so he decided not to confirm it. Even without the original charter, Catholics enjoyed religious liberty in New York for several years. But in 1688, James lost his crown in England's glorious revolution, and the following year, New York's Jacob Leisler staged a revolution of his own.

Leisler overthrew New York's government, ordered the arrest of all reputed papists, and disenfranchised Catholics. Further legislation banned Catholic priests from the colony and made the practice of Catholicism illegal. Within a few years' time, hardly a Catholic remained in New York.

The Dongen Charter reminds us that freedom, including religious freedom, is hard-won and fragile. Defending it requires courage, discernment, and commitment to principles that respect both God and neighbor. Reflect on one freedom or right you enjoy. Consider one way to safeguard or honor it today. Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, October 31st, for another story of faith and courage in America.