Reactionary Groups: The Know Nothings Party

1. The Know Nothing Party fought for?

According to the text, “The Know Nothings Party” was a reactionary group that formed in 19th century America due to their intergroup conflicts with Catholics. During this time period, there was a “large influx of Chinese, Irish, and German Catholics and other foreigners” in the U.S., and this often stirred hate campaigns from their non-supporters, such as the Protestant citizens in their communities and the “Know Nothings” (Parrillo, 2016, p. 99). Therefore, the “Know Nothings” were upset from this increase in the Catholic population and fought extensively “for strict immigration laws and discrimination against Catholics” (Parrillo, 2016, p. 99). Not only did this group from hate campaigns, but they also
However, the lives of African Americans differed both in the North and the South, such as how they were treated differently by the mass population, specifically whites. According to the text, Northern blacks were free citizens, but they were not equal in the eyes of the law; “most states passed laws denying them the right to vote, serve on juries, or migrate from another state to theirs” (Parrillo, 2016, p. 97). Segregation was also another common occurrence in American communities, such as what public facilities and residential areas that they could be in or live. Another unlawful treatment they received was job discrimination; instead of having a variety of options to choose from unlike other Americans, they were limited to unskilled occupations and had to compete with the Irish population in order to receive them. Therefore, based on their treatment, “socially ostracized, disfranchised, and economically discriminated against, Northern Black created their own sub-society” (Parrillo, 2016, p. 97). African American social institutions began to spring up in communities, such as churches that were considered to be the family gathering place as well as an aid to their societies; these churches provided its members educational, medical, and burial services, but they also provided ways to settle disputes and enhance self-esteem
According to the text, a slave society still existed in the South and there was even diversity amongst them, meaning, some had job differences that put them in better circumstances, most were field hands, but a small number were domestic servants or skilled workers. Unfortunately, at this time “life as a slave was a blend of labor exploitation, sexual exploitation, illiteracy, limited diet, and primitive living conditions; only in their private times of leisure in the evening or on Sundays and