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Contents(This is based on an
article titled, "The Rise and Fall, of a Fervid
Third Party" that appeared in Smithsonian (November, 1996; pp.
150-158).
The Know-Nothing Party-- grew out of intense fears over what was then
considered burgeoning immigration and the rapid social change people thought it
would bring to the
This was a far greater number than the country had experienced from 1820-1845
which was about 10,000 to 100,000 immigrants. Even these relatively steady
numbers provoked resentment from the native-born population who, participating
in mob violence, burned Catholic convents, etc.
The older inhabitants (We called them "Old European Immigrants" who
called themselves "Native Americans" (Later they were referred to as
WASPS) were concerned and outraged about what was happening to their country:
1. Arrivals were poverty and disease-stricken possessing alien ways and
customs perceived to be contrary to the Republic
2. They taxed the social services system to its breaking point:
a. Not enough police to control their criminal behavior
b. The rudimentary medical system (limited number of physicians and
practically non-existent public health system) just couldn't
handle/control/quarantine the epidemics of infectious diseases they brought
with them-- cholera, influenza, etc.-- or the diseases that they seemed to
breed in their filthy slums.
c. In Massachusetts, for example they comprised about 20 percent of the
population, but already were 50% of the inmates in prisons, poorhouses, and
state asylums, etc. Talk about taxing the social system!
Anti-immigrant fervor grew rapidly! Nativists began
to organize by publishing pamphlets, newspapers-- They began to organize into
groups and run for political office. Unlike other third-party efforts,
this time with the concern shared by all "Nativists"
growing-- a structured mass movement began to emerge in the 1850s. In 1850, a
secret order was formed by a man named Charles Allen-- THE ORDER OF THE
STAR-SPANGLED BANNER- Initially with only 43 members!
From this humble beginning the movement took off-- In 1853 it was taken over by
the ORDER OF UNITED AMERICANS which started a network of Lodges throughout the
United States-- Two years later the movement had exploded with a total of 960
Lodges in NY State, alone! Of course all these lodges were active in local
wards and politics. Little information remains of these secret lodges-- Because
their members took vows of secrecy.
German and Irish Protestants supported them, but they were not allowed to join.
ONLY NATIVE-BORN MALE CITIZENS OF THE PROTESTANT FAITH, BORN OF PROTESTANT
PARENTS, REARED UNDER PROTESTANT INFLUENCE AND NOT MARRIED TO A CATHOLIC were
allowed to join the lodges. There were secret passwords, handshakes, etc., and
members were told to respond to questions about their lodges with the phrase
"I know nothing!" or "I do not know!" Thus, we have the
KNOW NOTHING PARTY!
In
1854 the Know Nothings formed the AMERICAN PARTY and put up several hundred
candidates for national office from
1. Threatening Immigration and the cheap labor they were willing to
provide (.60 per day!)
2. Runaway inflation (partly due to the influx of gold from CA)
3. Industrialization-- railroads, cotton mills
4. New immigrants organizing into voting blocks
5. Weakening of the two-party system with the demise of the Whigs in
1852.
6. The division of the Democrats over slavery
In the 1854 election,
the Know Nothings made a truly amazing impact on the political scene. Here's a
quote from the Smithsonian:
“In their first organized campaign, with no charismatic national
leaders, no trained orators and almost on established political machine, they
elected more than 100 congressmen,
eight governors, thousands of local officials, including the mayors of Boston,
Philadelphia, and Chicago. They won control of state legislatures in half a
dozen states from New Hampshire to California, and made a strong showing in a
dozen more from New York to Louisiana....[In
Massachusetts]... they were elected governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of
state, attorney general, mayors of many cities and towns, and accounted for all
12 of the representatives in the U.S. Congress, all 40 of the state senators
and 376 of the 379 members of the state house of representatives."
Smithsonian
reports that the new
When it came to passing laws against immigration, the Know Nothings were far
less effective-- not having enough power at the national level to do much. They
started action on a constitutional amendment that forbade Catholics and
foreigners from holding office and would require 21 years before any immigrant
could vote.
In
the end, the movement faded-- Immigration declined after 1855 for other
reasons, and the offices that Know Nothings held turned them into conventional
politicians. Many had become political hacks! Just two years later membership
had dropped significantly and the nation was turning to a realization that
CIVIL WAR was inevitable.
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