Speaking in Tongues: Black Dominguans and the Growth of American Catholicism, 1791–1853

During and following the Haitian Revolution, Dominguan migrants of African descent developed extensive networks as they adapted to life in the United States. Kinship and Francophone affinities played a part in these networks, as did participation in Roman Catholicism. My paper argues that a Roman Catholic identity not only brought meaning to the lives of these migrants, but also aided the growth of the Church in the United States, as black Dominguans played key roles in Catholic life through the first half of the nineteenth century. The work of black Dominguans like Pierre Toussaint and the female founders of the Oblate Sisters of Providence will be placed in context with the work of lesser known migrants, male and female Dominguans of all generations who contributed to the vitality of the American Catholic experience, whether through financial and material support, participation in the sacraments of the church, or membership in its lay and holy orders.