Know-Nothings were members of certain secret societies that flourished in the United States from 1852 to 1860. They objected to immigration and the election or appointment of Roman Catholics and the foreign-born to official positions. They also opposed the Roman Catholic Church. They soon formed the American Party, often called the Know-Nothing Party.
The meetings of the Know-Nothings were held secretly. When anyone who was not a party member asked a Know-Nothing any question regarding the party, the member’s reply was supposed to be, “I don’t know.” Constant repetition of this phrase gave the party its popular name.
In the state elections of 1854, the Know-Nothings carried Massachusetts, polled large votes in New York and Pennsylvania, and gained a considerable following in the South. The Know-Nothings split over the slavery question in the election of 1856, and the party rapidly declined.
