There is a strong connection between the causes of nativism and the rise of the ku klux klan.
First, we need to understand the meaning of Nativism.
In an anthropological matter, nativism is an action that values the culture of a place over another. There for, the superiority of a group of people.
It became public in 1854, with the American Party, the “Know nothing” movement (they call themselves the “know nothings “because when asked about the actions of the group, the participants respond, “I don’t know nothing”). A popular reaction against the Irish catholic immigration. For them, The Irish Catholic did not respect the American values.
With that in mind, we can see that the KKK has a big connection with the ideas of Nativism.
The group was born with one thing in mind: white supremacy. The KKK believe that they need to maintain the pure brand of Americans. They are against immigration policies, the mix of cultures and civil rights. Most of times they use violence to make their point.
We can see clear that the KKK group applies a lot of the nativism ideology to his acts and beliefs.
The causes of nativism and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan can be easily connected during this time in American history (1800-1900; the Gilded Age). Nativism can be defined as a movement of extreme social and cultural prejudice towards immigrants. The belief of Manifest Destiny was still broad in the minds of many Americans who believed that they had racial and cultural superiority over other nations. The current rise in immigration numbers due to industrial jobs that drew cheap workers looking for labor had many fearful of their intentions.
The Ku Klux Klan shared many nativist ideals and beliefs between 1800 and 1900 such as wanting to “purify” American society and promoted white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration.
