The Duty of Native Americans in the Present Crisis

What it is

This is an 8-page printed appeal titled The Duty of Native Americans in the Present Crisis, dated 1856. It is addressed to 'Brothers of the American Order' and warns that the nation is divided, the South against the North and the North against the South. It was issued by the American Party. The archive has a scanned copy from the Internet Archive, and its subject list names Millard Fillmore, John Charles Frémont and the 1856 presidential election.

Why it matters

The American Party, often called the Know-Nothings, ran Fillmore for president in 1856. The pamphlet shows how a campaign tried to present itself as a defense of the nation against sectional division. Its readers were voters who were already alarmed by the split over slavery. The text is a party's own argument, not a neutral account, and it shows how Fillmore was used in campaign language of his time.

Look closer

• What does the writer say the nation's greatest danger is, and who does the writer blame?
• Who is the audience for this appeal, and how does the opening try to make them feel?
• What does the pamphlet leave out about the other candidates and the issues they raised?