The American Republican Party was a minor
anti-Catholic,
anti-immigration, and
nativist political organization
A political organization is any organization that involves itself in the political process, including political parties, non-governmental organizations, and special interest advocacy groups. Political organizations are those engaged in polit ...
that was launched in New York in June 1843, largely as a protest against immigrant voters and officeholders.
In 1844, the American Republican Party carried municipal elections in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
and
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
and expanded so rapidly that by July 1845 a national convention was called. This convention changed the name to the
Native American Party and drafted a legislative program calling for a 21-year period preceding
naturalization and other sweeping reforms in the
immigration policy of the United States, as well as mandating the use of the Protestant
King James Bible
The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version (AV), is an Early Modern English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by ...
in public schools.
Despite some initial success of the party, it lost public support following the
Philadelphia nativist riots of 1844 during which American Republican Party members were involved in burning down two Catholic churches.
Its founders included
Lewis Charles Levin, Samuel Kramer, "General" Peter Sken Smith, James Wallace, and John Gitron.
See also
*
Free Soil Party
The Free Soil Party, also called the Free Democratic Party or the Free Democracy, was a political party in the United States from 1848 to 1854, when it merged into the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party. The party was focused o ...
*
Know Nothing Party
*
The Crisis!: An Appeal to Our Countrymen, on the Subject of Foreign Influence in the United States!', a book published by the General Executive Committee of the American Republican Party in 1844 to describe the organization's anti-immigrant message.
References
Sources
*
Adams, James Truslow. ''Dictionary of American History'', New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1940.
Defunct political parties in the United States
History of immigration to the United States
1843 establishments in New York (state)
1845 disestablishments in New York (state)
Political parties established in 1843
Political parties disestablished in 1845
Defunct far-right political parties in the United States
Anti-Catholicism in the United States
Anti-Catholic organizations
American nationalist parties
Anti-immigration politics in the United States
Anti-German sentiment in the United States
Anti-Irish sentiment
Right-wing populism in the United States
Conservatism in the United States
Protestant political parties
Nativism (politics)
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