The Know Nothing Party: The History and Legacy of America's Most Notorious Nativist Political Party

It is not uncommon that a failed movement or group from the past might be cited as a “cautionary” example for the world today. In the wake of contemporary debates over immigration, the “Know Nothings” have been regularly cited as an example of how dangerous nativist attitudes can become and, indeed, have proven to be in America's history. Several columnists, for instance, have striven to make comparisons between the Know Nothings of antebellum America and President Donald Trump's immigratio...