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American

Know-Nothing Party Banner, ca. 1850

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

American

Title

Know-Nothing Party Banner

Year

ca. 1850

Medium

Printed cotton plain weave

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • cotton

Dimensions

61 cm (24 inches) (length)

Type

  • Textiles

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Constance Wharton Smith

Object Number

58.165.21

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Former Glory

July 27, 2018 - January 20, 2019

This work—which at first glance seems to refer to Indigenous Americans—was sponsored by the Know-Nothings, a semi-secret political party active in the mid-1800s. Racist, anti-immigrant, and anti-Catholic, the Know-Nothings were U.S.-born Protestants who proposed a 21-year residency requirement for citizenship and preventive measures against “foreigners” holding public office. The party ended soon after its founding, as members became divided on the issue of slavery.

George Washington is printed here in tribute to 18th-century American Whigs who fought for independence from Britain. Know-Nothings similarly believed they were patriotic in their 19th-century fight to protect the U.S. from outsiders. More than 160 years later, this administration continues the promotion of xenophobia and exclusivity.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Know-Nothing Party Banner with the accession number of 58.165.21. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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