Shaping America Politically and Culturally

            America was shaped and molded by the many different cultures that were brought to the land with the immigrants that moved here to start a better life. The rise of immigration in the mid to late seventeenth century lead to a spirit of national restructuring in the United States. Many Europeans came to America. Two groups in particular where the Irish and the German. These groups immigrated to America during the 1800s. The many different reasons for their immigration and the ideals that they brought with them influenced American culture greatly. Due to the immigration of the German and the Irish, the United States changed religiously, politically, and economically/socially by virtue of the conflicts between the Irish and the blacks and the influence of the Germans on education. .
             America was greatly affected religiously when the Germans and the Irish immigrated to America. The Roman Catholics became the powerful religious group in the 1840's and 1850's. Believing that they needed to protect their children from Protestant education in the public schools, these Roman Catholics constructed a separate Catholic educational system. This enormous expense was taken on even though these two groups were part of the poor immigrant community. This showed the strength of the community's religious commitment. The Americans that had immigrated here before these groups were concerned that the group would build the Catholic Church at the expense of Protestantism. These Americans formed a party known as the "Know-Nothing" party, given its name because it was so secretive. The party demanded more rigid restrictions on naturalization and immigration, and also wanted laws allowing the deportation of aliens. These demands and feelings lead to national reform because the Irish and the Germans had, in a way, created a new dominant religion, and helped create more religious diversity.
             Not only did the Irish and the Germans help create a more religious diversity, but they were also extremely influential in American politics.