Читать книгу American Civil War For Dummies - Keith D. Dickson - Страница 37

Another party was the Know-Nothings, which grew from a secret fraternal organization in New York in 1849. Any member, when asked about his affiliation with this organization, responded with the cryptic phrase “I know nothing.” The Know-Nothings drawing support from Whigs in both the North and the South, peaked in 1855, claiming a million members. The main attraction seemed to be this: If you were tired of listening to arguments over slavery, the Know-Nothings offered their version of 100 percent Americanism by opposing the growing voting power of Irish and German immigrants. With a strong anti-Catholic bent (because many German and nearly all Irish immigrants were Catholic), the Know-Nothings demanded a 15-year naturalization period before being allowed to vote, and limits on the production and sale of alcohol. This, too, was directed at the immigrants, whose consumption of strong drink was part of their culture. Because their pure anti-immigration message had little traction, the Know-Nothings disappeared as a political party in 1856. As political power shifted in the North, the Know Nothings drifted into other parties, most notably in the emerging Republican Party. Ironically, the growth of the Know Nothings, largely as a result of the defection of many voters from the Whig Party, helped to bring about the Whig Party’s final disappearance in 1855.