Difference between revisions of "Charles Coughlin"
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'''Charles Edward Coughlin''' (1891-1979), often called '''Father Coughlin''' or the 'Radio Priest', was a Roman Catholic priest with a very wide following for his political broadcasts in the United States in the 1930s. He began as a liberal who supported the [[New Deal]] and denounced bankers, but broke with President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] around 1934 because he felt Roosevelt was controlled by Jewish bankers. He was silenced by the Catholic Church in 1942 and retired from politics. | '''Charles Edward Coughlin''' (1891-1979), often called '''Father Coughlin''' or the 'Radio Priest', was a Roman Catholic priest with a very wide following for his political broadcasts in the United States in the 1930s. He began as a liberal who supported the [[New Deal]] and denounced bankers, but broke with President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] around 1934 because he felt Roosevelt was controlled by Jewish bankers. He was silenced by the Catholic Church in 1942 and retired from politics. | ||
| − | + | [[File:Coughlin1.jpg|thumb|200px]] | |
==Career== | ==Career== | ||
Coughlin was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and was ordained in 1916. In 1923 he moved to nearby [[Detroit]] and from 1926 began broadcasting weekly radio sermons. In the early 1930s he enthusiastically endorsed President Roosevelt and the [[New Deal]], but the tenor of his talks, as the sermons had become, changed to attacks on [[Wall Street]], international finance, and the New Deal itself. As Coughlin was attracting audiences in the tens of millions, Roosevelt sent intermediaries including [[Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.]] to try and quieten the priest, to no avail. | Coughlin was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and was ordained in 1916. In 1923 he moved to nearby [[Detroit]] and from 1926 began broadcasting weekly radio sermons. In the early 1930s he enthusiastically endorsed President Roosevelt and the [[New Deal]], but the tenor of his talks, as the sermons had become, changed to attacks on [[Wall Street]], international finance, and the New Deal itself. As Coughlin was attracting audiences in the tens of millions, Roosevelt sent intermediaries including [[Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.]] to try and quieten the priest, to no avail. | ||
| − | From 1936 Coughlin began to express admiration for [[Hitler]] and [[Mussolini]] and to attack [[American Jews]]; he founded a publication 'Social Justice' which published extracts from a forgery called ''[[The Protocols of the Elders of Zion]]''. He also gave his support to the | + | From 1936 Coughlin began to express admiration for [[Hitler]] and [[Mussolini]] and to attack [[American Jews]]; he founded a publication 'Social Justice' which published extracts from a forgery called ''[[The Protocols of the Elders of Zion]]''. He also gave his support to the "Christian Front", a pro-Nazi groups suppressed by the FBI in 1940; it was responsible for physical attacks on Jewish families on the east coast. In 1938, following [[Holocaust#Crystal_Night|Kristellnacht]] in Nazi Germany, he blamed the Jewish victims for the assaults they had suffered. By the late thirties, pressure was growing from both inside and outside the church to stop Coughlin's broadcasts. Several major networks refused to carry his talks, or insisted on prior approval of his scripts; but he only ceased broadcasting upon receipt of a direct order from the Bishop of Detroit in 1942. |
== External links == | == External links == | ||
*[http://www.archive.org/details/FatherCoughlinsRadioSermons Transcripts from Coughlin's lectures from late 1930-1931] at the [http://www.archive.org Internet Archive] | *[http://www.archive.org/details/FatherCoughlinsRadioSermons Transcripts from Coughlin's lectures from late 1930-1931] at the [http://www.archive.org Internet Archive] | ||
*[http://www.archive.org/details/AmIAnAnti-semite Am I An Anti-Semite? Radio addresses from Nov. 6, 1938 to Jan. 1, 1939] at the [http://www.archive.org Internet Archive] | *[http://www.archive.org/details/AmIAnAnti-semite Am I An Anti-Semite? Radio addresses from Nov. 6, 1938 to Jan. 1, 1939] at the [http://www.archive.org Internet Archive] | ||
| + | ==Further reading== | ||
| + | * Brinkley, Alan. ''Voices of Protest: Huey Long, Father Coughlin, & the Great Depression'' (1983) [http://www.amazon.com/Voices-Protest-Father-Coughlin-Depression/dp/0394716280/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262308865&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search] | ||
| + | * Tull, C. J. ''Father Coughlin and the New Deal''(1965) | ||
[[Category:New Deal]] | [[Category:New Deal]] | ||
[[Category:Irish-Americans]] | [[Category:Irish-Americans]] | ||
[[Category:Religion and Politics]] | [[Category:Religion and Politics]] | ||
Revision as of 01:26, January 1, 2010
Charles Edward Coughlin (1891-1979), often called Father Coughlin or the 'Radio Priest', was a Roman Catholic priest with a very wide following for his political broadcasts in the United States in the 1930s. He began as a liberal who supported the New Deal and denounced bankers, but broke with President Franklin D. Roosevelt around 1934 because he felt Roosevelt was controlled by Jewish bankers. He was silenced by the Catholic Church in 1942 and retired from politics.
Career
Coughlin was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and was ordained in 1916. In 1923 he moved to nearby Detroit and from 1926 began broadcasting weekly radio sermons. In the early 1930s he enthusiastically endorsed President Roosevelt and the New Deal, but the tenor of his talks, as the sermons had become, changed to attacks on Wall Street, international finance, and the New Deal itself. As Coughlin was attracting audiences in the tens of millions, Roosevelt sent intermediaries including Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. to try and quieten the priest, to no avail.
From 1936 Coughlin began to express admiration for Hitler and Mussolini and to attack American Jews; he founded a publication 'Social Justice' which published extracts from a forgery called The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. He also gave his support to the "Christian Front", a pro-Nazi groups suppressed by the FBI in 1940; it was responsible for physical attacks on Jewish families on the east coast. In 1938, following Kristellnacht in Nazi Germany, he blamed the Jewish victims for the assaults they had suffered. By the late thirties, pressure was growing from both inside and outside the church to stop Coughlin's broadcasts. Several major networks refused to carry his talks, or insisted on prior approval of his scripts; but he only ceased broadcasting upon receipt of a direct order from the Bishop of Detroit in 1942.
External links
- Transcripts from Coughlin's lectures from late 1930-1931 at the Internet Archive
- Am I An Anti-Semite? Radio addresses from Nov. 6, 1938 to Jan. 1, 1939 at the Internet Archive
Further reading
- Brinkley, Alan. Voices of Protest: Huey Long, Father Coughlin, & the Great Depression (1983) excerpt and text search
- Tull, C. J. Father Coughlin and the New Deal(1965)