Mike members of the American Party were called the "Know Nothings"... actually many of the men were of education and influence. Their concerns didn't have to go back to LaRochelle, they could have gone back one decade to the fact that Pope Pius IX had helped put down the failed liberal Revolutions of 1848. Many of these men, mostly German would come to this country, they or their sons for the most part would fight as Union soldiers during the war.

Much is made that there were socialist involved in the war of 48. However most of these men were simply fighting against an Aristocratic government for some of the basic right that we as citizens or at least white men who had the voting franchise had achieved here in the United States. Put's me in mind of my wife's coal mining relatives...veterans, hard workers, loyal Americans....went on strike and the Company labeled them Communist and used machine guns to persuade them to work. Called the Harlan County Wars. Person wouldn't want to aggravate those felllers and get lost in the holler....