“ Know nothing” party, a short-lived but yet a popular party, manifested itself in the national political scene during the 1840s and 1850s. Also referred to as the American Party, it came to power to firmly oppose immigrants as well as the Catholics. Its members feared that followers of the Catholic Church were more loyal to Pope compared to the United States. In fact, the political atmosphere was tense since there were rumours that the Catholics aimed at taking over the U.S. They also feared that the increased number of Catholics would have erased the values of the U.S. regarding self-reliance, work ethics, and Protestantism ( Vile, 2016) .
The immigration influx was not only reshaping the make-up of the country’s populace but also bringing about stiff completion in the economy as aspects like labour increased ( Vile, 2016) . The nativists hoped to deny immigrants some rights such as employment in the private industry, arguing that the country’s business owners ought to employ true natives.
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In today’s modern world, nativism is still present in regards to religion as well as ethnicity. Nativist views are publicly and primarily made especially towards Muslims as well as Mexican immigrants. Muslims are entirely being blamed for criminal activities of some few individuals sharing a religion. Evidently, the massive influx of immigrants especially the Mexicans is fueling nativism in the U.S. as political groups and leaders work towards ensuring complete banishment of immigration. Some of the reasons include increased crimes, drug use, and a deteriorating economy allegedly contributed by immigrants.
The movement has certainly had an impact on the current debates concerning immigration. For a reason, the party brought about the two-party system present today in U.S today, the Democrats and the Republicans. The Democrats value and support naturalization for illegal migrants, particularly children, whereas the Republicans adamantly oppose the concept.
In conclusion, the social anxieties brought about by the issues of industrialization as well as immigration continue even today. Just like in the past, despite the civilization of man, there are still irrational attacks of specific groups as they are blamed for social problems. Unfortunately, the social tensions tend to inspire not only fear but also hatred amongst groups which may consequently further paralyze a country. Therefore, leaders should work towards overcoming the problem at hand without compromising the societal solidarity.
References
Vile, J. R. (2016). American immigration and citizenship: A documentary history .
