Roman Catholic schools in the United States have made significant contributions which include the first schools in many geographic areas, the first textbook in the United States, and the first dictionaries of some Indian languages. Early attempts to establish Catholic schools led to incidents which required heroism of the leaders and sacrifices by the laity. The U.S. Catholic schools had their roots in European Catholic countries and, as a result, the first schools in the western hemisphere were located in Spanish and French territories. The growth of the 13 British colonies set the pattern for the future development of the colonies and the U.S. public school systems. At the time, Catholics were regarded as an insignificant and powerless minority. The U.S. Constitution's First Amendment has led to the United States being the only country in the western hemisphere which prohibits religious observances in public schools. From 1783-1828, U.S. Catholics, while facing hostility, poverty, and the frontier wilderness, established an educational philosophy and school organizational pattern. Because of immigration and westward expansion, the period of 1829-1884 was one of growth and expansion in contrast to the years 1885-1917, which were characterized by instability and slower growth due to the rise of materialism, pragmatism, naturalism, and Darwinism. Catholic schools defended their right to exist in the 1918 Code of Common Law. This right was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in Pierce versus Society of Sisters. Since 1957, the Catholic schools in the United States have stressed education to the inner city underprivileged. Suggested teaching formats for use of this material are included. (JHP)