PEOPLE

James G. Blaine

. Republican politician, unsuccessful presidential nominee in 1884

. First powerful easterner to endorse anti-Chinese sentiment; played major role in passage of Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

Millard Fillmore

. 13th President of the United States, 1850-53

. In 1856, ran for president again on ticket of Know-Nothing Party, but received only 23% of vote

. His loss demonstrated political weakness of anti-immigration parties

Abraham Lincoln

. Illinois Senator and 16th President of the United States

. First Republican President, elected 1860

. Issued Emancipation Proclamation in 1863

. Set anti-nativist standard for Republican Party, broken only by Blaine

Denis Kearney

. Irish demagogue and politician based in San Francisco, 1870s

. Launched California Workingmen's Party, first successful nativist party

. Threatened violence against politicians and organized riots against Chinese

. His agitation led to passage of Chinese Exclusion Act, 1882

EVENTS

Naturalization Act of 1795

. Extended required period of U.S. residency before citizenship from two to five years

. Alien and Sedition Acts, passed in 1798, extended required period to fourteen years

. Thomas Jefferson lowered required wait for citizenship again in 1800

1844 Irish Potato Famine

. Led to the death of one million in Ireland

. Sparked the emigration of some two million

. Contributed to highest immigration rate in U.S. national history

1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

. Ended Mexican-American War

. U.S. gained Texas, California, much of Southwest

. 80,000 Mexicans suddenly found themselves living in U.S. territory and gained U.S. citizenship

1849 Rise of Know-Nothings

. Originally formed as secret society in New York City

. Organization of native-born Americans opposed to immigration of Catholics, especially Irish

1854 Founding of American Party

. Know-Nothings converted into overt political party

. Demanded 21-year waiting period for citizenship, restriction of jobs available to Catholics, temperance

1856 Presidential Election

. Democrat James Buchanan won presidency with backing of immigrant voters

. Millard Fillmore, anti-immigrant American Party nominee, got 23% of vote

. Showed that Know-Nothings would not become a significant opposition party

1865 First Chinese Railroad Workers

Hired by Central Pacific

. Initially only fifty Chinese were hired

. By 1867, Chinese laborers made up 90% of workforce

1877 Formation of California

Workingman's Party

. Wanted to drive out Chinese and punish businessmen that employed them

. Marched in San Francisco, rioted in Chinatown

. Elected its first state senator and forced revision of state constitution in 1878

. Faded by 1880

1882 Chinese Exclusion Act

. Immigration from China banned for ten years

. Immigration Act of 1882 also passed in same year, banning criminals, "idiots", and lunatics from entering U.S.

GROUPS

Know-Nothings

. Anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant secret society in 1850s

. Membership peaked somewhere above one million

. Split over slavery

. Their American Party polled only 23% in presidential race in 1956

Workingman's Party

. California political party

. Dedicated to barring Chinese immigration

. Organized by Irish immigrant Denis Kearney

. Helped rewrite California constitution

. Eventually absorbed by Democrats

Nonpartisan Party

. Union of Democrats and Republicans in California

. Formed to counter Workingman's Party

"Big Four"

. Group of four California rail barons who led Central Pacific RR

. Leland Stanford, Collis P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins, Charles Crocker

. Hired first Chinese railroad workers

CONCEPTS

Assimilation

. Process by which an immigrant group assimilates to host society

Nativism

. Opposition to immigration

. Can be based on racism, economic and cultural worries, politics

. Workingman's Party was a nativist party, meaning its platform was dominated by anti-immigration measures

PLACES

New York, New York

. Birthplace of Know-Nothing societies, 1850s

. Epicenter of anti-Irish nativism

San Francisco, California

. Birthplace of California Workingman's Party

. Epicenter of anti-Chinese nativism, 1870s

. Spent rainy winter encamped at Fort Clatsop at mouth of Columbia River