Know Nothing

Long ago, a group formed in the U.S.

They had a secret name. They said, "I know nothing" to outsiders. This group was not kind to new people. They did not like people from other lands. Many of these new people were Catholic. The group wanted to keep things the same.

They even tried to win big elections. But the group did not last long. They split apart over many big fights. Soon, the group was gone.

In the 1840s, a new group grew in the United States.

They were called the Know Nothings. This name came from a secret rule. Members had to say, "I know nothing," to outsiders. They wanted to keep power for people born in America.

Many new people were moving to the U.S. from Ireland and Germany. Many of these people were Catholic. The Know Nothings did not like them. They feared Catholic leaders would control voters.

They also had ideas about labor rights and women's rights.

In 1854, the group became the American Party. They won many elections. They even elected Nathaniel P. Banks to Congress. In 1856, they ran Millard Fillmore for president.

He got about 21.5% of the votes. But the party soon began to fail. Leaders were not strong. The group also split over the issue of slavery. By the time the Civil War began, the party was gone.

The Know Nothing movement was a major political group in the United States. It existed from the 1840s through the 1850s. People often called them the Know Nothings because of a secret rule. If an outsider asked about the group, members had to say, "I know nothing."

This group was also called the Native American Party. Later, they became the official American Party. They were a nativist movement. This means they wanted to protect the interests of people born in America. They felt that new immigrants were changing the country too much.

The movement grew because many people were moving to the U.S. from Ireland and Germany.

Many of these new arrivals were Catholic. Most members of the Know Nothing movement were Protestant. They feared that Catholic priests would control how people voted. They believed this would hurt American religious and political freedom. They also had some ideas about helping workers. In some places, they supported labor rights and more government spending. They even supported expanding rights for women.

Secret groups helped the movement grow very quickly. One group was called the Order of the Star Spangled Banner. It was started by Charles B. Allen in New York City in 1849. At first, it only had 36 members.

Other groups like the Order of United Americans also formed. These groups helped people coordinate their votes. By 1854, the movement was very strong. It grew from 50,000 members to over one million people in just a few months. This was a huge change for American politics.

The group had many successes in elections during the 1850s. In 1854, they won many seats in Congress. They elected Nathaniel P. Banks to a seat in Congress. In the same year, they won many local offices in Massachusetts. In Chicago, Levi Boone was elected mayor in 1855. He even barred immigrants from getting city jobs. In 1856, the American Party ran Millard Fillmore for president. Fillmore was a former president. He received 21.5% of the popular vote in that election.

Even though they were powerful, the party did not last long. They had many weak leaders and no strong national leaders. They also split apart because of the big debate over slavery.

In the South, the party was different. They did not focus on anti-Catholic ideas as much as the North did. After the 1856 election, the party began to decline quickly. Many members joined the Republican Party after a famous court decision in 1857. By the time the American Civil War began, the party had disappeared.

The Know Nothing movement was a powerful nativist political force in the United States. It operated primarily from the 1840s through the 1850s. Nativism refers to the desire to protect the interests of native-born citizens. This movement sought to defend traditional Protestant religious and political values. They often identified as the Native American Party or the American Party. The name "Know Nothing" came from their secret organizational style.

If an outsider asked a member about the group, they had to reply, "I know nothing." This secrecy helped the movement grow through various underground orders.

This movement grew due to massive shifts in American population. Between 1840 and 1860, large numbers of Irish and German immigrants arrived. Many of these new arrivals were Roman Catholic. This created tension with the existing Protestant majority.

Many Protestants feared a "Romanist" conspiracy. They believed Catholic priests and bishops would control large groups of voters. They worried that these immigrants would prioritize foreign interests over American ones. This fear drove many people to seek political organization to protect their influence.

Several secret societies acted as the mechanism for this movement. In 1849, Charles B. Allen founded the Order of the Star Spangled Banner in New York City. It began with only 36 members.

Other important groups included the Order of United Americans. These secret orders allowed members to coordinate their votes effectively. They targeted the lower middle class and skilled workers. This helped the movement spread quickly from New York across the North. By 1854, the movement transitioned from a loose collection of groups into the official American Party.

Political success arrived rapidly during the mid-1850s. In 1854, the movement won many local and Congressional elections. They elected Nathaniel P. Banks to Congress in Massachusetts. In Chicago, Levi Boone was elected mayor in 1855 and barred immigrants from city jobs. In San Francisco, they helped elect J. Neely Johnson as governor. The party's membership exploded during this era. It grew from 50,000 members to over one million in just a few months. This massive surge allowed them to become a major alternative to the Democratic Party.

In the 1856 presidential election, the American Party nominated Millard Fillmore. Fillmore was a former president of the United States.

He remained quiet about his specific membership in the movement. Fillmore received 21.5% of the popular vote in that election. This placed him behind both the Democratic and Republican nominees. While the party was strong in the North, it looked different in the South. Southern members often focused less on anti-Catholicism and more on being a neutral alternative to Democrats. They also hoped to find a middle ground regarding the issue of slavery.

Despite their focus on nativism, the party held diverse political views. At the state level, some members supported progressive ideas. They advocated for labor rights and increased government spending. Some branches even supported the expansion of rights for women. They also supported regulating industry to help working people. This connection made them a forerunner of the later temperance movement. Interestingly, the movement did not focus its anger on Jewish people. In New York, the party even supported a Jewish candidate named Daniel Ullman for governor in 1854.

The movement eventually collapsed due to internal divisions and external pressures. They lacked experienced national leaders to hold the party together. A major cause of the split was the intense debate over slavery. The 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford decision by the Supreme Court increased tensions. This decision pushed many former Know Nothings to join the Republican Party. In the South, the party struggled as leaders accused them of being abolitionists. By 1860, many remnants joined the Constitutional Union Party. The movement finally disappeared during the American Civil War.