Immigrants American Party Know Nothings

Population in 1820: 9.6 million, mostly English and Protestant

Approximate Totals 1812-1920: 30 million from Europe 700,000 from Asia 900,000 from Latin America

List as many groups of people that you can think of that had an impact on culture in the WEST

List as many groups of people that might have had and impact on the EAST

Mountain Men/fur trappers

Mormons Natives

Americans Hispanics Mexicans Asians ‘49er’s Europeans

Explain how each of these groups might have impacted the American West.

Problems?

Almost 2 million African American slaves in US by 1820.

Between 75,000 and 100,000 citizens of Mexican provinces of CA, TX, NM, AZ made Americans by conquest in 1848.

Several displaced Native American tribes/broken treaties

About 2.5 million Irish between 1810 and 1855

Over 3 million Germans immigrated between 1820 and 1880

300,000 Chinese immigrated between 1848 and 1882 (Chinese Exclusion Act).

A return to or emphasis on traditional or local customs, in opposition to outside influences.

US Specifically: the policy of protecting the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants.

AKA The Know Nothing Party Anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic

groups formed in the 1840’s in response to increased immigration from Ireland and Germany; influenced by West

1 Million+ followers by 1850s 40 Congressional seats

Formed in 1849 Becomes American Party in 1851 Restrictions on immigration, the exclusion of the foreign-born from voting or holding public office in the United States, and a 21-year residency requirement for citizenship

“Know Nothing”-secrecy

“… [In Massachusetts] are heard the voices of her native born children,

declaring for the perpetuity AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS, and AMERICAN

LIBERTIES. The [people] have spoken in a voice of

thunder, in favor of Americans ruling America …

the warm pulsation of the people’s heart beats only for FREEDOM … and

PROTESTANTISM.” —Daily Evening Journal, November

14, 1854

Desperate, hungry immigrants suffered the nightmares of the crossing to America

So many died that the ships became known as “coffin ships”

According to the 2000 Census about 30 million Americans were of Irish Ancestry

43 million claimed German ancestry

Work: Irish lazy, manual laborers, poor. Religion: Catholicism is a foreign religion. Violence: Irish are inherently violent savage,

troublemakers. Politics: loyal to Pope over President, links to

monarchy threaten American freedom.

Increased tensions over SLAVERY lead to racism as well (African immigrants…are they immigrants?)

NO IRISH NEED APPLY I'm a decent boy just landed From the town of Ballyfad; I want a situation, yes, And want it very bad. I have seen employment advertised, "It's just the thing," says I, "But the dirty spalpeen ended with 'No Irish Need Apply.' " "Whoa," says I, "that's an insult, But to get the place I'll try," So I went to see the blackguard With his "No Irish Need Apply." Some do count it a misfortune To be christened Pat or Dan, But to me it is an honor To be born an Irishman. I started out to find the house, I got it mighty soon; There I found the old chap seated, He was reading the Tribune. I told him what I came for, When he in a rage did fly, "No!" he says, "You are a Paddy, And no Irish need apply."

     The American Party even ran a presidential candidate in 1856 (Millard Fillmore). Eventually disagreements over slavery and related political issues fractured the party, and it ceased to exist by the time of the Civil War.

More than 1.3 mill Irish came between 1846-1855.

Out of a population of about 24 million this was considered a threat to their way of life.

Resented because of their poverty and seen as a threat to American workers.

Religion-Catholic

Most Irish immigrants were Roman Catholics and the U.S. was predominantly Protestant.

Some believed that Catholicism was at odds with the principles of democracy.

Voices From History

“Popery cannot tolerate our form of government … Popery does not

acknowledge the right of the people to govern; but claims for itself the supreme

right to govern all people and all rulers by divine right … It does not tolerate liberty of

conscience nor liberty of opinion.”-Samuel F.B.Morse

Inventor of the first practical telegraph

—Samuel F. B. Morse

Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints

Carpenter and Missionary

1844-Joseph Smith dies, Brigham Young chosen to replace

1838-39: Mormon movement from Missouri to IL

1846-52 IL to UT 20 wives, 47

children Spirit Children of

God, Book of Mormon, weekly family meetings, conservative, coporating system

Nearly as many Germans as Irish immigrated to US

did not encounter the same hostility as Irish

most German immigrants were middle class and Protestant.

could afford to travel (Midwest)

Many German immigrant communities could be found from New York to Texas

Farmers, artisans, factory workers, etc

Violence Racism Political and Economic Discrimination

A reaction to influx of Irish immigrants.

Between 1820 and 1865 over 80,000 Irish migrated to Philadelphia.

Tensions started over the issue of religion in public schools.

The Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project counted 844 active hate groups in the United States in 2006. Only organizations and their chapters known to be active during 2006 are included.