Nativism and slavery : the northern Know Nothings and the politics of the 1850's

Although The United States Has Always Portrayed Itself As A Sanctuary For The World's Victim's Of Poverty And Oppression, Anti-immigrant Movements Have Enjoyed Remarkable Success Throughout American History. None Attained Greater Prominence Than The Order Of The Star Spangled Banner, A Fraternal Order Referred To Most Commonly As The Know Nothing Party. Vowing To Reduce The Political Influence Of Immigrants And Catholics, The Know Nothings Burst Onto The American Political Scene In 1854, And By The End Of The Following Year They Had Elected Eight Governors, More Than One Hundred Congressmen, And Thousands Of Other Local Officials Including The Mayors Of Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, And Chicago. After Their Initial Successes, The Know Nothings Attempted To Increase Their Appeal By Converting Their Network Of Lodges Into A Conventional Political Organization, Which They Christened The American Party. Recently, Historians Have Pointed To The Know Nothings' Success As Evidence That Ethnic And Religious Issues Mattered More To Nineteenth-century Voters Than Better-known National Issues Such As Slavery. In This Important Book, However, Anbinder Argues That The Know Nothings' Phenomenal Success Was Inextricably Linked To The Firm Stance Their Northern Members Took Against The Extension Of Slavery. Most Know Nothings, He Asserts, Saw Slavery And Catholicism As Interconnected Evils That Should Be Fought In Tandem. Although The Know Nothings Certainly Were Bigots, Their Party Provided An Early Outlet For The Anti-slavery Sentiment That Eventually Led To The Civil War. Anbinder's Study Presents The First Comprehensive History Of America's Most Successful Anti-immigrant Movement, As Well As A Major Reinterpretation Of The Political Crisis That Led To The Civil War. Immigration, Nativism, And Party Crisis -- The Rise Of The Know Nothings -- The Know Nothings Enter Politics -- The Know Nothings And The Collapse Of The Second Party System -- Americans Must Rule America: The Ideology Of The Know Nothing Party -- The Know Nothings In Office -- Our Order Must Be Nationalized: Slavery Divides The Know Nothing Party -- Slavery Is At The Bottom Of All Our Troubles: The Decline Of The Know Nothing Party -- The Know Nothings And The Presidential Election Of 1856 -- The Know Nothings And Republican Ascendancy, 1857-1860. Tyler Gregory Anbinder. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.

Politicians have used immigrants as scapegoats for the nation's problems throughout American history. No group achieved more success with this tactic than the Know Nothing Party, which directed its attacks primarily against Catholic immigrants. Within a year of its appearance in 1854, the party had elected eight governors, over one hundred members of Congress, and thousands of local officials. Prominent politicians of every persuasion joined the organization, which eventually became known as the American Party. Many observers predicted that the party would elect the next President. The Know Nothings experienced a precipitous decline, however, and in the 1856 election their presidential candidate, Millard Fillmore, carried only one state. The Know Nothings have not attracted much interest from historians, because the events involved in the coming of the Civil War eclipsed interest in a movement that was apparently only peripherally involved with Civil War issues. In this important new book, however, Anbinder argues that the Know Nothings's phenomenal success was inextricably linked to the firm stance their northern members took against the extension of slavery. Nativism and Slavery presents the first comprehensive history of the Know Nothings as well as a major revision of the political crisis that led to the Civil War.

Political protest against immigrants has come to a head several times in American history. The most famous and influential such protest was exemplified by the Know-Nothing Party, founded in 1854 and directed especially against Catholic immigrants. By the end of 1855 the party had elected eight governors, over one hundred Congressmen, and thousands of local officials. Prominent politicians of every persuasion joined the party, which then changed its name to the American Party. It; became a major element in the new Republican Party, which first produced a presidential candidate in 1856. The party and its influence has not attracted much attention from historians, because the events involved in the coming of the Civil War eclipsed interest in a movement that was only; peripherally involved with Civil War issues.; The Know-Nothings had a precipitous decline, starting with the 1856 election, at which their presidential candidate Millard Fillmore carried only one state. The Republican Party soon eclipsed it, too. Tyler Anbinder has written the first comprehensive history of the Know-Nothings, and his book represents a major revision of historiography in the years leading up to the Civil War Frontmatter (page N/A) Abbreviations Usedin the Footnotes (page viii) Introduction (page ix) 1 Immigration, Nativism, and Party Crisis (page 3) 2 The Rise of the Know Nothings (page 20) 3 The Know Nothings Enter Politics, 52 (page 52) 4 The Know Nothings and the Collapse of the Second Party System (page 75) 5 "Americans Must rule America": The Ideology of the Know Nothing Party (page 103) 6 The Know Nothings in Office (page 127) 7 "Our Order Must Be Nationalized": Slavery Divides the Know Nothing Party (page 162) 8 "Slavery Is at the Bottom of all Our Troubles": The Decline of the Know Nothing Party (page 194) 9 The Know Nothings and Republican Ascendancy, 1857-1860 (page 220) 10 The Know Nothings and Republican Ascendancy, 1857-1860 (page 246) Appendix (page 279) Bibliography (page 287) Index (page 311)