Nativists in the 1840s believed that immigrants

Nativists in the 1840s believed that immigrants were a threat to American society and worried that they would try to change American values and norms. Along with this, many nativists were worried about immigrants taking over their jobs, due to the fact that most of them would work for less pay.

This group especially targeted anyone whose descendants were not traced back to the citizens of the original thirteen American colonies. This ultimately resulted in the creation of the American Party and the call for more strict immigration laws.