Quick Hit: "Catholic Exodus"

I have a lunch talk recap up over at the MHS blog (The Beehive), sharing some of the highlight's from Alex Goldfeld's talk last Friday on the history of Catholics in Boston's North End neighborhood, and specifically an 1859 incident at the Eliot School over whether Catholic students should be compelled to say Protestant prayers.

Goldfeld argues that this incident and the political rhetoric surrounding it on both sides raised questions about the place of religion in the school system and the role of public schools in the assimilation of immigrants that still have echoes in modern-day debates.

Those of you who are interested can hop on over to The Beehive to read the rest.