U.S. Immigration in the 1840s and 1850s in This Month in History

NATIVISM AND THE KNOW NOTHINGS: Should the U.S. Restrict Immigration?

Amid the nation’s first big wave of immigration in the 1840s and 1850s, the Know Nothings emerged. They were a nativist group that sought to limit how many people entered the United States. The Know Nothings were mostly Protestant. They denounced new immigrants, who were mostly Catholic from Ireland and Germany, and called them drunkards, criminals, paupers, and enemies of the American way of life. They feared they would lower wages, threaten jobs, and increase Catholic influence in the United States.

Opponents of the Know Nothings defended the new immigrants. They argued the immigrants would boost the economy and help the nation. America had always opened its doors to the poor and the oppressed, they claimed. Everyone, including immigrants, has the right to freedom of religion.

How to Engage Your Students In Debate

Let your students learn the facts and decide for themselves. Did the wave of immigrants into the United States in the mid-1800s threaten the nation? Or did it make the nation stronger? Should the United States have restricted immigration in the 1840s and 1850s? Also, what if the Know Nothings had succeeded in persuading the U.S. government to restrict immigration?

Be sure to check out Issues & Controversies in American History. It offers a clear, unbiased look at nativism and the Know Nothings. Extend the discussion. Encourage critical thinking with the questions and insights in the “What If…” section of the article.

Issues & Controversies in American History is an accessible educational database that delivers dynamic, concise, and balanced coverage providing the background, outcome, and contemporary points of view for every major debate and conflict in American history.