Summary
In the late 1840s and early 1850s, a devastating potato famine led more than a million Irish, largely Catholics, to emigrate to America. Large numbers of German Catholics emigrated as well. No federal law limited U.S. immigration at the time, but the flood of Irish and German Catholics into the United States—a largely Protestant nation—spurred calls for restrictions. The most strident voices came from the Know Nothings, a new political party with strong nativist, anti-Catholic leanings. Should the U.S. government heed their calls and restrict immigration, or keep the nation's doors open?
This eBook examines Irish and German Catholic immigration to the United States in the mid-19th century and delves into the pro and con arguments that surrounded it. It includes a timeline, primary sources, a bibliography, a "Learn More About" chapter with more information on the topic, and a "What If" chapter speculating what might have happened had the U.S. government chosen a different course.