the american response to the mortara case

Seems like all I do here these days is whine and post academic work. This is an instance of the latter.

My recently completed paper on the American response to the Mortara case. Its focus is what that response reveals about American images of Catholics and Jews. The Mortara kidnapping occurred in 1858, just at the tail-end of one of the intense nativism of the 1840s and 1850s. This paper shows that, at least in one instance, nativism wasn't directed equally at all outsiders. Instead, Catholics bore the brunt of nativist sentiment. I also speculate on why that might be the case.

Comments, as always, are much appreciated.

(The version just linked to is a .doc file. I haven't had a chance to convert it to a pdf as yet, but that'll happen at some point.)