Know Nothing facts for kids
The Know Nothing movement was a political group in the United States during the 1850s. They were worried that too many Irish Catholic immigrants were coming to the country. Many people in the movement thought these immigrants were against American values. They also feared the immigrants were controlled by the Pope in Rome.
The movement was most active from 1854 to 1856. Their main goal was to stop or slow down immigration. They also wanted to make it harder for immigrants to become citizens. However, their efforts were not very successful. The group had few well-known leaders. Its members were mostly middle-class and Protestant. They eventually split up over the issue of slavery. Most of them joined the Republican Party by the 1860 presidential election.
The movement started in New York in 1843. It was first called the American Republican Party. Later, it spread to other states as the Native American Party. In 1845, it became a national party. In 1855, it changed its name to the American Party. The name "Know Nothing" came from how secret the group was. If someone asked a member about the party's activities, they were supposed to say, "I know nothing."
What the Know Nothings Believed
The American Party had several main ideas and goals. They wanted to:
- Place strict limits on immigration, especially from countries with many Catholics.
- Allow only people born in America to hold political jobs.
- Make immigrants wait 21 years before they could become citizens.
- Allow only Protestants to be teachers in public schools.
- Require daily Bible readings in public schools.
- Limit the sale of liquor.
Images for kids
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Know Nothing Party ticket naming party candidates for state and county offices. At the bottom of the page are voting instructions.
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Results by county indicating the percentage for Fillmore in each county
See also
In Spanish: Know Nothing para niños
