The American party, more commonly known as the Know-Nothing party, was a short-lived yet influential political group in the 1850s. Originally founded as a secret organization with a basis of nativism, the party gained its nickname from followers instructed to reply “I know nothing” when asked about the organization. The party was primarily made up of Anglo-Saxon Protestants who were distrustful of Catholic immigrants from Ireland and Germany. By 1854, Know-Nothing membership had grown rapidly to over a million, and the party proceeded to take control of several states in New England and the South. The Know-Nothings appeared to have displaced the Whigs as the nation 's second party; however, the movement collapsed almost as quickly as it had formed. Due to inept leadership and conflicting views within the party on the issue of slavery, the Know-Nothings soon faded away and the upstart Republican party became the chief rival of the Democrats.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was one of the most polarizing issues in American political history. Proposed in 1854 by Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas, it suggested that the issue of slavery in the territory west of Missouri and Iowa be …show more content…
Published in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the book portrays the titular character Uncle Tom as a loyal, long-suffering faithful servant to his white masters. The novel emphasizes the cruelty of slavery, fueling the abolitionist cause and acting as a precursor to the Civil War. Decried and banned across most of the South, the book was a best-seller throughout the rest of the country, exhibiting the harsh realities of slavery to the general public. The questionable morality of slavery came to the forefront of politics, featuring prominently in Republican-Democrat debates and sectionalizing the parties strictly to the North and South. America truly was, as Abraham Lincoln described it, a house
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was one of the most polarizing issues in American political history. Proposed in 1854 by Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas, it suggested that the issue of slavery in the territory west of Missouri and Iowa be …show more content…
Published in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the book portrays the titular character Uncle Tom as a loyal, long-suffering faithful servant to his white masters. The novel emphasizes the cruelty of slavery, fueling the abolitionist cause and acting as a precursor to the Civil War. Decried and banned across most of the South, the book was a best-seller throughout the rest of the country, exhibiting the harsh realities of slavery to the general public. The questionable morality of slavery came to the forefront of politics, featuring prominently in Republican-Democrat debates and sectionalizing the parties strictly to the North and South. America truly was, as Abraham Lincoln described it, a house