From Wilderness to City Streets: How Urbanization Shaped American Catholicism

December 05, 2025
00:00 01:02:31
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From early canal towns to rapidly expanding industrial cities, in this episode, we are joined by fellow Buffalonian John Fagant, trustee of the Buffalo Presidential Center to explore how Catholic immigrants and clergy shaped American communities during a time of major growth. Using the story of frontier-era Buffalo as a case study, we follow how the Erie Canal, massive migration from Ireland and Germany, parish building, and rising nativism transformed both urban life and the Catholic Church. The episode also looks at church–state conflicts, public schooling debates, social tensions, and the national political landscape leading up to the Civil War. This is a great look at how movement, growth, and faith changed the landscape of the United States.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts. #HistoryPodcast #CatholicHistory #EarlyAmerica #ImmigrationHistory #UrbanHistory #USHistory #PapacyPodcast
www.buffalopresidentialcenter.org
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Email Us: steve@atozhistorypage.com
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Music Provided by:
"Sonatina in C Minor" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Funeral March for Brass" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Crusade Heavy Perfect Loop" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Agnus Dei X - Bitter Suite Kevin MacLeaod (incomptech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Meet Your Host
Steve Guerra is a historian and podcaster who hosts three different shows. He started with the History of the Papacy Podcast in 2013. In 2017, Steve began Beyond the Big Screen, a podcast that delves into the fascinating stories behind films through lively interviews. His newest show, Organized Crime and Punishment, takes a deep dive into the roots, evolution, and impact of organized crime across different cultures and countries.
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