Know-nothing party,
A secret political party organized in 1853 for the purpose mainly of opposing foreign citizenship.
As early as 1835 an attempt was made to originate some such movement in New York City, where a foreign population had already gained much strength.
This movement, however, ended in failure before the election for mayor in 1837.
The feeling, however, was again revived in 1843, after the Democrats, who had been successful in the election, gave the largest share of offices to foreign-born citizens.
In the following year the same native feeling was extended through
New Jersey and to
Philadelphia, where several riots occurred between native and Irish citizens.
This agitation resulted in natives holding the majority of offices for several years.
In 1852, however, when the
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seetional contest as to the extension of slave territory became so strong, and when the Democratic party was receiving reinforcements from immigrants, the old opposition to foreigners again appeared; but this time in the form of a secret, oathbound fraternity, whose objects were not even made known to its own members till they had reached the higher degrees.
Whenever any questions were asked the members by outsiders they would say, “I don't know,” and from this circumstance the popular name of “Know-nothings” was given them.
In the elections of 1854 they appeared as a well-disciplined party, carrying
Massachusetts and
Delaware, and in the following year they polled 122,282 votes in
New York State and made great strides in the
South.
In the Presidential campaign of 1856 the Knownothing party was called the “American party” and presented
Millard Fillmore as its candidate.
As the great question of slavery then began to gain greater strength and to absorb a larger amount of public attention a lesser importance was given to nativism.
The party reappeared in 1860, under the name of the Constitutional Union party, and, failing to carry the
South, soon disappeared from the political field.
