The New International Encyclopædia/American Party

AMERICAN PAR′TY. The name applied to three parties in the history of the United States. The first and best known was organized in 1852, chiefly to oppose the immigration of foreigners, and had a considerable following between the years 1852 and 1856. A fuller account is given under the title Know-Nothings, the name by which the party was generally known. The second party was an outgrowth of the National Christian Association, and was organized in 1872 to oppose secret societies and to advocate the prohibition of the sale of intoxicants, the regular use of the Bible in the schools, arbitration of international disputes, a direct popular vote for President, the resumption of specie payments, and a more general observance of Sunday. After 1888, when it cast its largest vote, it virtually went out of existence. The third party was organized in Philadelphia in September, 1887. to restrict the immigration and naturalization of foreigners, to exclude all Anarchists and Socialists from the privilege of citizenship, and to prevent alien proprietorship of the soil. Its influence has been inconsiderable.