KNOW NOTHING (or See also:

• AMERICAN

AMERICAN) PARTY  , in See also:

• UNITED

United States See also:

• HISTORY

history, a See also:

• POLITICAL

political party of See also:

• GREAT

great importance in the See also:

• DECADE (from Gr. Oka, ten)

decade before 186o . Its principle was political proscription of naturalized citizens and of See also:

• ROMAN

Roman Catholics . Distrust of See also:

• ALIEN (Lat. alienus)

alien immigrants, because of presumptive See also:

• ATTACHMENT

attachment to See also:

• EUROPEAN

European institutions, has always been more or less widely diffused, and See also:

• RACE

race antagonisms have been recurrently of political moment; while See also:

• ANTI, or CAMPA

anti-See also:

• CATHOLIC (Gr. KcaBoXuK6s, general, universal)

Catholic sentiment went back to colonial sectarianism . These were the elements of the political " nativism "—i.e. hostility to See also:

• FOREIGN

foreign See also:

• INFLUENCE (Late Lat. influentia, from influere, to flow in)

influence in politics—of 1830-1860 . In these years Irish See also:

• IMMIGRATION (from Lat. in, into, and tnigrare, to depart)

immigration became increasingly preponderant; and that of Catholics was even more so . The See also:

• GEOGRAPHICAL

geographical segregation and the clannishness of foreign voters in the cities gave them a See also:

• POWER [WILLIAM GRATTAN] TYRONE (1797-1841)

power that Whigs and Democrats alike (the latter more successfully) strove to See also:

• CONTROL (Fr. contrdle, older form contre rolle, from Med. Lat. contra-rotulus, a counter roll or copy of a document used to check the original; there is no instance in English of the use of " control " in this, its literal, meaning)

control, to the great See also:

• AGGRAVATION (from Lat. ad, increasing, and gravis, heavy)

aggravation of See also:

• NATURALIZATION

naturalization and See also:

• ELECTION
• ELECTION (from Lat. eligere, to pick out)

election frauds . " No one can deny that ignorant foreign See also:

• SUFFRAGE (Lat. suffragium)

suffrage had grown to be an evil of immense proportions" (J . F . See also:

• RHODES
• RHODES, CECIL JOHN (1853-1902)
• RHODES, JAMES FORD

Rhodes) . In labour disputes, political feuds and social clannishness, the alien elements—especially the Irish and See also:

• GERMAN
• GERMAN, DUTCH AND SCANDINAVIAN

German—displayed their power, and at times gave offence by their hostile See also:

• CRITICISM
• CRITICISM (from the Gr. KpiTrlS, a judge, Kpivew, to decide, to give an authoritative opinion)

criticism of See also:

• AMERICAN

American institutions) . In immigration centres like See also:

• BOSTON
• BOSTON, THOMAS (1676-1732)

Boston, See also:

• PHILADELPHIA

Philadelphia and New See also:

• YORK
• YORK (HOUSE OF)
• YORK, EDMUND OF LANGLEY, DUKE OF (1341-1402)
• YORK, EDWARD
• YORK, FREDERICK AUGUSTUS, DUKE OF (1763-1827)
• YORK, RICHARD, DUKE

York, the Catholic See also:

• CHURCH
• CHURCH (according to most authorities derived from the Gr. Kvpcaxov [&wµa], " the Lord's [house]," and common to many Teutonic, Slavonic and other languages under various forms—Scottish kirk, Ger. Kirche, Swed. kirka, Dan. kirke, Russ. tserkov, Buig. cerk
• CHURCH, FREDERICK EDWIN (1826-1900)
• CHURCH, GEORGE EARL (1835–1910)
• CHURCH, RICHARD WILLIAM (1815–189o)
• CHURCH, SIR RICHARD (1784–1873)

Church, very largely foreign in membership and proclaiming a foreign See also:

• ALLEGIANCE (Mid. Eng. ligeaunce; med. Lat. ligeantia, &c.; the al- was probably added through confusion with another legal term, allegeance, an allegation; the Fr. allegeance comes from the English; the word is formed from " liege," of which the derivatio

allegiance of disputed extent, was really " the See also:

• SYMBOL (Gr. o-uµ(3oXov, a sign)

symbol and strength of foreign influence " (Scisco); many regarded it as a, transplanted foreign institution, un-American in organization and ideas.2 Thus it became involved in politics . The decade 183o-184o was marked by anti-Catholic (anti-Irish) riots in various cities and by party organization of nativists in many places in See also:

• LOCAL

local elections .

Thus arose the American-Republican (later the Native-American) Party, whose See also:

• NATIONAL

national career begun practically in 1845, and which in See also:

• LOUISIANA

Louisiana in 1841 first received a See also:

• STATE
• STATE, GREAT OFFICERS OF

state organization . New York See also:

• CITY (through Fr. cite, from Lat. civitas)

City in 1844 and Boston in 1845 were carried by the nativists, but their success was due to Whig support, which was not continued,3 and the national organization was by 1847—in which See also:

• YEAR

year it endorsed the Whig nominee for the See also:

• PRESIDENCY

presidency—practically dead . Though some Whig leaders had strong nativist leanings, and though the party secured a few representatives in See also:

• CONGRESS (Lat. congressus, coming together, from congredi; cum, with, and gradus, step)

Congress, it accomplished little at this See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time in national politics . In the See also:

• EARLY
• EARLY, JUBAL ANDERSON (1816-1894)

early 'fifties nativism was revivified by an unparalleled inflow of aliens . Catholics, moreover, had combated the Native-Americans defiantly . In 1852 both Whigs and Democrats were forced to defend their presidential nominees against charges of anti-Catholic sentiment . In 1853-1854 there was a wide-spread " anti-popery " propaganda and riots against Catholics in various cities . Meanwhile the KnowNothing Party had sprung from nativist See also:

• SECRET (Lat. secretum, hidden, concealed)

secret See also:

• SOCIETIES, LEARNED

societies, whose relations remain obscure.' Its organization was secret; and hence its name—for a member, when interrogated, always 1E.g. for some extraordinary " reform " programmes among German immigrants see Schmeckebier (as below), pp . 48–5o . " The actual offence of the Catholic Church was its non-conformity to American methods of church See also:

• ADMINISTRATION (Lat. administrare, to serve)

administration and popular See also:

• EDUCATION

education " (Scisco) . 3 The Whigs bargained aid in New York city for "American " support in the state, and charged that the latter was not given . Millard See also:

• FILLMORE, MILLARD (1800-1874)

Fillmore attributed the Whig loss of the state (see See also:

• LIBERTY (Lat. libertas, from liber, free)

LIBERTY PARTY) to the disaffection of Catholic Whigs angered by the See also:

• ALLIANCE

alliance with the nativists .

4 The See also:

• ORDER
• ORDER (through Fr. ordre, for earlier ordene, from Lat. ordo, ordinis, rank, service, arrangement; the ultimate source is generally taken to be the root seen in Lat. oriri, rise, arise, begin; cf. " origin ")
• ORDER, HOLY

Order of United Americans and the Order of the See also:

• STAR

Star Spangled Banner, established in New York respectively in 1845 and 185o, were the most important See also:

• SOURCES

sources of its membership . answered that he knew nothing about it . Selecting candidates secretly from among those nominated by the other parties, and giving them no public endorsement, the Know Nothings, as soon as they gained the See also:

• BALANCE (derived through the Fr. from the Late Lat. bilantia, an apparatus for weighing, from bi, two, and lanx, a dish or scale)

balance of power, could shatter at will Whig and Democratic calculations . Their power was evident by 1852—from which time, accordingly, " Knowi othingism " is most properly dated . The charges they brought against naturalization abuses were only too well founded; and those against election frauds not less so—though, unfortunately, the Know Nothings themselves followed scandalous election methods in some cities . The proposed proscription of the foreign-See also:

• BORN, IGNAZ, EDLER VON (1742–1791)

born knew no exceptions: many wished never to concede to them all the rights of natives, nor to their See also:

• CHILDREN, LAW RELATING TO

children unless educated in the public See also:

• SCHOOLS

schools . As for Catholics, the real animus of Know Nothingism was against political Romanism; therefore, secondarily, against papal allegiance and episcopal church administration (in See also:

• PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place of administration by See also:

• LAY

lay trustees, as was earlier See also:

• COMMON

common practice in the United States); and, primarily, against public aid to Catholic schools, and the alleged greed (i.e. the power and success) of the Irish in politics . The times were propitious for the success of an aggressive third party; for the Whigs were broken by the See also:

• DEATH

death of See also:

• CLAY (from O. Eng. claeg, a word common in various forms to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Klei)
• CLAY, CASSIUS MARCELLUS (1810-1903)
• CLAY, CHARLES (1801–1893)
• CLAY, FREDERIC (1838–1889)
• CLAY, HENRY (1777–1852)

Clay and See also:

• WEBSTER
• WEBSTER, ALEXANDER (1707-1784)
• WEBSTER, BENJAMIN NOTTINGHAM (1797-1882)
• WEBSTER, DANIEL (1782-1852)
• WEBSTER, JOHN (fl. 1602-1624)
• WEBSTER, NOAH (1758-1843)
• WEBSTER, THOMAS (1773-1844)
• WEBSTER, THOMAS (1800-1886)

Webster and the crushing defeat of 1852, and both the Whig and Democratic parties were disintegiating on the See also:

• SLAVERY

slavery issue . But the Know Nothings lacked aggression . In entering national politics the party abandoned its mysteries, without making compensatory gains; when it was compelled to publish a See also:

• PLATFORM (Fr. plateforme, i.e. ground plan)

platform of principles, factions arose in its ranks; moreover, to draw recruits the faster from Whigs and Democrats, it " straddled " the slavery question, and this, although a temporary success, ultimately meant ruin . In 1854, however, Know Nothing gains were remarkable.' Thereafter the organization spread like wildfire in the See also:

• SOUTH
• SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

South, in which See also:

• SECTION
• SECTION (Lat. sectio, cutting, secare, to cut)

section there were almost no aliens, and the Whig See also:

• DISSOLUTION (from Lat. dissolvere, to break up into parts)

dissolution was far advanced . The See also:

• VIRGINIA
• VIRGINIA, or VERGINIA
• VIRGINIA, UNIVERSITY OF

Virginia election of May 1855 proved conclusively, however, that Know Nothingism was no stronger against the Democrats than was the Whig party it had absorbed; it was the same organization under a new name .

In the See also:

• NORTH
• NORTH, BARONS
• NORTH, MARIANNE (1830—1890)
• NORTH, ROGER (1653-1734)
• NORTH, SIR THOMAS (1535?-16o1?)

North it was even clearer that slavery must be faced . Know Nothing evasion probably helped the South,2 but neither Republicans nor Democrats would endure the evasion; See also:

• DOUGLAS
• DOUGLAS, GAVIN (1474?-1522)
• DOUGLAS, JOHN (1721—1807.)
• DOUGLAS, SIR CHARLES
• DOUGLAS, SIR HOWARD
• DOUGLAS, STEPHEN ARNOLD (18,3–1861)

Douglas and See also:

• SEWARD, ANNA (1747-1809)
• SEWARD, WILLIAM HENRY (180r-1872)

Seward, and later (1855–1856) their parties, denounced it . In the North-See also:

• WEST
• WEST, BENJAMIN (1738-1820)
• WEST, NICHOLAS (1461-1533)

West the Know Nothings were swept into the anti-slavery See also:

• MOVEMENT

movement in 1854 without retaining their organization . In the state See also:

• CAMPAIGNS

campaigns of 1855 professions were measured to the See also:

• LATITUDE (Lat. latitudo, latus, broad)

latitude . The national platform of 1856 (adopted by a secret See also:

• GRAND

grand See also:

• COUNCIL (Lat. concilium, from cum, together, and the root cal, to call)

council), besides including anti-alien and anti-Catholic planks, offered sops to the North, the South and the " dough-faces " on the slavery issue . Millard Fillmore was nominated for the presidency . The anti-slavery delegates of eight See also:

• NORTHERN

Northern states bolted the See also:

• CONVENTION (Lat. conventio, an assembly or agreement, from convenire, to come together)
• CONVENTION, THE NATIONAL

convention, and eight months later the Republican See also:

• WAVE

wave swept the Know Nothings out of the North .3 The national See also:

• FIELD (a word common to many West German languages, cf. Ger. Feld, Dutch veld, possibly cognate with O.E. f olde, the earth, and ultimately with root of the Gr. irAaror, broad)
• FIELD, CYRUS WEST (1819-1892)
• FIELD, DAVID DUDLEY (18o5-1894)
• FIELD, EUGENE (1850-1895)
• FIELD, FREDERICK (18o1—1885)
• FIELD, HENRY MARTYN (1822-1907)
• FIELD, JOHN (1782—1837)
• FIELD, MARSHALL (183 1906)
• FIELD, NATHAN (1587—1633)
• FIELD, STEPHEN JOHNSON (1816-1899)
• FIELD, WILLIAM VENTRIS FIELD, BARON (1813-1907)

field being thus lost, the state See also:

• COUNCILS

councils became supreme, and local opportunism fostered variation and weakness . By 1859 the party was confined almost entirely to the border states . The Constitutional See also:

• UNION
• UNION (known locally as Union Hill and officially as Town of Union)

Union—the " Do Nothing "—Party of i86o was mainly composed of Know Nothing remnants.4 The year i86o practically marked, also, the disappearance of the party as a local power.' Except in city politics nativism had no vitality; in state and 1 This year " American Party " became the See also:

• OFFICIAL (Late Lat. QJicialis, for class. Lat. apparitor, from officium, office, duty)

official name . Its strength in Congress was almost See also:

• THIRTY

thirty-See also:

• FOLD

fold that of 1852 . It elected See also:

• GOVERNORS

governors, legislatures, or both, in four New See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England states, and in :See also:

• MARYLAND

Maryland, See also:

• KENTUCKY

Kentucky and See also:

• CALIFORNIA
• CALIFORNIA, LOWER (Baja California)
• CALIFORNIA, UNIVERSITY OF

California; See also:

• MINOR
• MINOR (Lat. for smaller, lesser)
• MINOR, ROBERT CRANNELL (1839-1904)

minor See also:

• OFFICERS

officers elsewhere; and almost won six See also:

• SOUTHERN

Southern states . 2 For it delayed anti-slavery organization in the North, and presumably discouraged immigration, which was a source of strength to the North rather than to the South .

3 They carried only Maryland . The popular See also:

• VOTE

vote in the North was under one-seventh, in the South above three-sevenths, of the See also:

• TOTAL

total vote See also:

• CAST (from the verb meaning " to throw "; the word is Scand. in origin, cf. Dan. kaste, and Swed. kasta; " cast " in Middle Eng. took the place of the A.S. weor pan, cf. Ger. werf en)

cast . See also:

• NOTE
• NOTE (Lat. nota, mark, sign, from noscere, to know)

Note the presidential vote . Seward's loss of the Republican nomination was partly due to Know Nothing hostility . 5 Its firmest hold was in Maryland . Its See also:

• RULE

rule in See also:

• BALTIMORE
• BALTIMORE, GEORGE CALVERT, 1ST BARON (C. 1580—1632)

Baltimore (1854–i86o) was marked by disgraceful riots and abuses.national politics it really had no excuse . Race antipathies gave it local cohesive power in the North; various causes, already mentioned, advanced it in the South; and as a See also:

• DEVICE

device to win offices it was of wide-spread attraction . Its only real contribution to See also:

• GOVERNMENT
• GOVERNMENT (0. Fr. governement, mod. gouvernement, O. Fr. governer, mod. gouverner, from Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, guide, rule; cf. Gr. xv(3epvav)

government was the See also:

• PROOF (in M. Eng. preove, proeve, preve, &°c., from O. Fr . prueve, proeve, &c., mod. preuve, Late. Lat. proba, probate, to prove, to test the goodness of anything, probus, good)

proof that nativism is not American-ism . Public See also:

• OPINION (Lat. opinio, from opinari, to think)

opinion has never accepted its estimate of the alien nor of Catholic citizens . Some of its anti-Church principles, however—as the non-support of denominational schools—have been generally accepted; others—as the refusal to exclude the (See also:

• PROTESTANT

Protestant) See also:

• BIBLE
• BIBLE, ENGLISH

Bible from public schools—have been generally rejected; others—as the See also:

• TAXATION
• TAXATION (from " tax," derived, through the French, from Lat. taxare, to appraise, which again is connected with the same root as tangere, to touch)

taxation of all Church See also:

• PROPERTY

property—remain disputed . See L . D .

Scisco, Political Nativism in New York State (doctoral thesis, See also:

• COLUMBIA

Columbia University, New York, 1901); L . F . Schmeckebier, Know Nothing Party in Maryland (Johns See also:

• HOPKINS, EDWARD WASHBURN (1857— )
• HOPKINS, ESEK (1718-18oz)
• HOPKINS, MARK (1802—1887)
• HOPKINS, SAMUEL (1721–1803)
• HOPKINS, WILLIAM (1793–1866)

Hopkins University, Baltimore, 1899) ; G . H . Haynes, " A Know Nothing Legislature " (See also:

• MASS (O.E. maesse; Fr. messe; Ger. Messe; Ital. messa; from eccl. Lat. missa)
• MASS, IN

Mass., 1855), in American See also:

• HISTORICAL

Historical Assoc . See also:

• REPORT (O.Fr. report or raport, modern rapport, from O.Fr. reporter, mod. rap porter, Lat. reportare, to bring back, in poetical use only, of bringing back an account, news, &c.)

Report, pt. i (1896); J . B . McMaster, With the Fathers, including " The Riotous Career of the Know Nothings " (New York, 1896) ; H . F . See also:

• DESMOND (Des-Mumha)
• DESMOND, GERALD FITZGERALD, 15TH EARL OF (d. 1583)7

Desmond, The Know Nothing Party (See also:

• WASHINGTON
• WASHINGTON (or WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE)
• WASHINGTON, BOOKER TALIAFERRO (c. 1859– )
• WASHINGTON, BUSHROD (1762-1829)
• WASHINGTON, GEORGE (1732-1799)

Washington, 1905) .