Why have Americans expressed concern about immigration at some times but not at others? In pursuit of an answer, this book examines America's first nativist movement, which responded to the rapid influx of 4.2 million immigrants between 1840 and 1860. As most studies on nativism have focused on the coasts, historians have not yet produced a complete explanation for why Midwesterners joined the ranks of the National American, or "Know-Nothing," Party in such great numbers and why the nation's bloodiest anti-immigrant riots erupted in Midwestern cities, namely Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville, and St. Louis. Ritter's detailed examination of the outbreak of political nativism in western cities provides a representative example of the relationship between immigrants' conditions, the election riots of the mid-1850s, and the dramatic rise of the National American Party, which garnered 22 percent of the popular vote in the election of 1856. Ritter explains how unprecedented levels of immigration from Europe and rapid westward expansion reignited fears of Catholicism as a corrosive force. New research illuminates the inner sanctums of the elusive and secretive Order of Know-Nothings in the West. Original data derived from local criminal court records provide a fresh perspective on the relationship between immigration, crime, and poverty in the urban West. Ultimately, Ritter argues that the country's first bout of political nativism culminated in a renewal of Americans' commitment to the separation of church and state, a process most clearly observed in the antebellum West. Native-born Americans compelled Catholics and immigrants who might have otherwise shared an affinity for monarchism to accept American-style democracy. Catholics and immigrants forced Americans to accept a more inclusive definition of religious freedom. It is no wonder, then, that Americans and immigrants of all creeds have often framed their respective causes in the language of religious liberty. This study offers valuable insight into the historic role of nativism in American politics and sheds light on present-day concerns regarding immigration in America.
