Charles Coughlin

Charles Coughlin is a Canadian conservative politician, well-known for his infamous radio speeches, while also very controversial for his often racialized and antisemetic beliefs.

## **Early life and work**

Coughlin was born in Hamilton, Ontario, the only child of Irish Catholic parents, Amelia (née Mahoney) and Thomas Coughlin. Born in a working-class neighborhood, his modest home was situated between a Catholic cathedral and convent. His mother, who had regretted not becoming a nun, was the dominant figure in the household and instilled a deep sense of religion in the young Coughlin.

After his basic education, he attended St. Michael's College in Toronto in 1911, run by the Congregation of St. Basil, a society of priests dedicated to education. After graduation, Coughlin entered the Basilian Fathers. He prepared for holy orders at St. Basil's Seminary, and was ordained to the priesthood in Toronto in 1916. He was assigned to teach at Assumption College, also operated by the Basilians, in Windsor, Ontario.

It is thought that Coughlin first became radicalized after the 1919 Race Riots, where it is said he blamed “Jews and dissidents” for the attacks and “if they were peaceful” (also insinuating that Black Americans were at fault) the white mobs wouldn’t have targeted American minorities. He also got in touch with various Christian conservative organizations, fearing the rise of syndicalism and unionism in America.

In 1923, a reorganization of Coughlin's religious order resulted in his departure. The Holy See required the Basilians to change the congregational structure from a society of common life patterned after the Society of Priests of Saint Sulpice, to a more monastic life. They had to take the traditional three religious vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. Coughlin could not accept this.

Leaving the congregation, Coughlin moved across the Detroit River to the United States, settling in the booming industrial city of Detroit, Michigan, where the automotive industry was expanding rapidly. He was incardinated (or formally enrolled) by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit in 1923. After being transferred several times to different , in 1926 he was assigned to the newly founded Shrine of the Little Flower, a congregation of some 25 Catholic families among the largely Protestant suburban community of Royal Oak, Michigan. His powerful preaching soon expanded the parish congregation.

## **Radio Broadcaster**

In 1926, disturbed by Ku Klux Klan-orchestrated cross burnings on his church grounds and aware that he was unable to pay back the diocesan loan which had paid for his church, Coughlin began broadcasting his Sunday sermons from local radio station WJR. In response, Coughlin's weekly hour-long radio program denounced the KKK, appealing to his Irish Catholic audience.

When WJR was acquired by Goodwill Stations in 1929, owner George A. Richards encouraged Coughlin to focus on politics instead of religious topics. Becoming increasingly vehement, the broadcasts attacked the banking system and Jews. Coughlin's program was picked up by CBS in 1930 for national broadcast. The tower where he would broadcast his radio sermons from was completed in 1931. While he denounced the KKK on his broadcasts he also spouted very right-wing populist and antisemetic views. But nothing was more infamous than his hatred of socialism. He revealed his hatred, anger and frustration at the ineffective handling of the growth of socialist influence at the hands of the American government, and cited the 1924 Haitian Revolution as a warning sign that “If we don’t pick our act soon, we will destroy ourselves; We will become Haiti”.

## **The Civil War and departure to Canada**

With the Great Depression still widely encompassing the United States, Charles threw his support behind FDR in the 1932 elections as did many with hopes that he would be the leader to bring the nation out of the Great Depression. However his attempts to revive the country were cut short as FDR was assassinated during his inauguration speech, as John Garner became president and the country erupted into chaos. After attacks on socialists were wide spread, both locally and nationally a general strike was declared across the USA in early April as the strike continued and grew until August when the civil war officially began, but before August Charles was becoming increasingly radicalized. He urged his followers to resist the socialist “menace” and pledge their loyalty to the federalists, but as the general strike continued life in the United States was paralyzed. Charles became quite fearful that a socialist revolution would sweep the country and made plans to flee to Canada as he lived near the border.

After the PUA was proclaimed socialists everywhere began fighting in the streets against the military and loyalist police, including in Detroit, as Michigan was sympathetic to the syndicalist cause.