Untitled - Digitizing America

The circulation of books and tracts adapted to give
information on the various errors of Popery in their
history, tendency, and design.
To awaken the attention of the community to the
dangers which threaten the liberties, and the public
and domestic institutions, of these United States
from the assaults of Romanism.
Although many other factors had pitted Americans
against "aliens" for several years, the A.P.A.tainted
sermons that rang from Philadelphia pulpits
and friction over Protestant-oriented public
schools contributed to the violence that tore apart
"The City of Brotherly Love" in 1844.
Tt'e riob @an in early May when a Nativist lost
his life in a Kensington confrontation. Subsequenty,
tno Catholb churches were burned to
the ground by cheering mobs, as were dozens of
lrish Catholic homes, and the city was placed
under martial law. A week of murder and destruction
left hundreds of homeless refugees and a scar
that would take years to heal.
The wound was reopened with a Ndivist 4th of
JJy parade that ended with a cannon attack on
rnen gruardirp SL Philip NeriChurch and an invasion
by the militia, five thousand strong, some of
whom barged into crowds with their guns blazing.
This time, thirteen lives were wasted and at least
fifty were injured.
Wtten i{w York anti-Catholics threatened similar
actbn a few days later, Bishop John Hughes
statimed fully-armed men around each of his
chtrcfies, wtri$ prwed a successful deterrent.
ln that same year, the Ndive American partywhose
name indicded ils rnembership discrimination
and its politicalallegianewon the New York
elections. The following year, the Nativists took
control of the Boston legislature.
As Native American crimes grew, however, many
members of the party, horrified at the violence,
began to withdraw their support. By 1847, the
Nativists had disappeared from the national
s@ne.
The lull was short-lived. ln 1849, the Order of the
Star-Spangled Banner was founded in New York
by Charles B. Allen. Within half a decade, this
originally inconsequential group had been reorganized
by James W. Barker, also of New York,
and a local, district, state, and nationalframework
was erected that was both elaborate and effective.
When the "foreign vote" put Franklin Pierce in the
White House, members of the Order vigorously
renewed their vows:
The object of this organization shall be to protect
every American citizen in the legal and proper exercise
of all his civil and religious rights and privileges;
to resist the insidious policy of the Church of Rome,
and all other foreign influence against our republican
institutions in all lawful ways; to place in all offices of
honor, trust, or profit, in the gift of the people, or by
appointment, none but native-born Protestant citizens,
and to protect, preserve and uphold the Union
of these statqs and the Constitution of the same.
Members were pledged to secrecy about their
meetings, rituals, and purposes. Their cover-up
answers of "l don't know" led totheir being dubbed
the "Know-Nothings," though officially they became
the American party.
By 1854 they were ready to launch a full-fledged
surprise attack. ln that year's elections,
dumbfounded pollworkers found numerous votegetters,
many winning electoral seats, whose
names were not even on the ballot. The greatest
victory came in Massachusetts, where the governor,
all state officers, and the entire state Senate
were of the American party. The state House of
Representatives was composed of one Whig, one
Free-Soiler, and 376 Know-Nothings. ln the next
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