"In 1856, the Know Nothing Party's platform called for a waiting period of 21 years before an immigrant could become a citizen. Paul and other candidates, such as Utah's Tea Party-Republican Mike Lee, say children born here to illegal aliens shouldn't automatically become U.S. citizens."
"With the general election fewer than 60 days away, voters ought to focus on reversing the meteoric rise of the Tea Partiers, who are the linear successors to the aptly named anti-immigration Know Nothing movement that flourished for a brief time during the 1850s."
The trouble with people who do a little historical research is they miss the broad picture. The Know Nothings were against legal immigration; the Tea Party (generally) is against illegal immigration. The Know Nothings were also anti-Catholic. For the most part the Tea Party isn't about religion. |