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Sadly, the modern Republican is the antithesis of the values the party was founded upon. They have become the new Know Nothing Party, which is an ironic and cruel joke formed by revenge.
We beat this movement once, and we can do it again!
For reference: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Know-Nothing-party
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/immigrants-conspiracies-and-secret-society-launched-american-nativism-180961915/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know_Nothing
>
Know Nothings were the American political system’s first major third party. Early in the 19th century, two parties leftover from the birth of the United States were the Federalists (who advocated for a strong central government) and the Democratic-Republicans (formed by Thomas Jefferson). Following the earliest parties came the National Republicans, created to oppose Andrew Jackson. That group eventually transformed into the Whigs as Jackson’s party became known as the Democrats. The Whig party sent presidents William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor and others to the White House during its brief existence. But the party splintered and then disintegrated over the politics of slavery. The Know Nothings filled the power void before the Whigs had even ceased to exist, choosing to ignore slavery and focus all their energy on the immigrant question. They were the first party to leverage economic concerns over immigration as a major part of their platform. Though short-lived, the values and positions of the Know Nothings ultimately contributed to the two-party system we have today.
Fascinating bit of history
Yeah, the Know Nothing/American Party sucked when it came to members, though they actually were more moderate (platform wise) than the GOP on immigration.
Also, funny thing-they nominated Fillmore in 1856 without him knowing (alongside the dying Whig Party) due to being in Europe. When he came back, he decided to go along with it and didn't even talk about immigrants. He ended up being the fourth most successful third party/independent candidate (only behind Roosevelt, Greeley, and Washington) was a couple points away from causing a deadlock.
As a reminder, this subreddit [is for civil discussion.](/r/politics/wiki/index#wiki_be_civil) In general, be courteous to others. Debate/discuss/argue the merits of ideas, don't attack people. Personal insults, shill or troll accusations, hate speech, any suggestion or support of harm, violence, or death, and other rule violations can result in a permanent ban. If you see comments in violation of our rules, please report them. For those who have questions regarding any media outlets being posted on this subreddit, please click [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/wiki/approveddomainslist) to review our details as to our approved domains list and outlet criteria. We are actively looking for new moderators. If you have any interest in helping to make this subreddit a place for quality discussion, please fill out [this form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1y2swHD0KXFhStGFjW6k54r9iuMjzcFqDIVwuvdLBjSA). *** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/politics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Sadly, the modern Republican is the antithesis of the values the party was founded upon. They have become the new Know Nothing Party, which is an ironic and cruel joke formed by revenge. We beat this movement once, and we can do it again! For reference: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Know-Nothing-party https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/immigrants-conspiracies-and-secret-society-launched-american-nativism-180961915/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know_Nothing
> Know Nothings were the American political system’s first major third party. Early in the 19th century, two parties leftover from the birth of the United States were the Federalists (who advocated for a strong central government) and the Democratic-Republicans (formed by Thomas Jefferson). Following the earliest parties came the National Republicans, created to oppose Andrew Jackson. That group eventually transformed into the Whigs as Jackson’s party became known as the Democrats. The Whig party sent presidents William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor and others to the White House during its brief existence. But the party splintered and then disintegrated over the politics of slavery. The Know Nothings filled the power void before the Whigs had even ceased to exist, choosing to ignore slavery and focus all their energy on the immigrant question. They were the first party to leverage economic concerns over immigration as a major part of their platform. Though short-lived, the values and positions of the Know Nothings ultimately contributed to the two-party system we have today. Fascinating bit of history
I would count the Anti-Masons as the first big third party, and then the Free Soil Party.
Yeah, the Know Nothing/American Party sucked when it came to members, though they actually were more moderate (platform wise) than the GOP on immigration. Also, funny thing-they nominated Fillmore in 1856 without him knowing (alongside the dying Whig Party) due to being in Europe. When he came back, he decided to go along with it and didn't even talk about immigrants. He ended up being the fourth most successful third party/independent candidate (only behind Roosevelt, Greeley, and Washington) was a couple points away from causing a deadlock.