The Fires of Philadelphia: Citizen-Soldiers, Nativists, and the 1844 Riots Over the Soul of a Nation
Channel: US National Archives
Date: 2021-07-06

America is in a state of deep unrest, grappling with xenophobia, racial, and ethnic tension on a national scale that feels singular to our time.  But it also echoes the earliest anti-immigrant sentiments of the country. In The Fires of Philadelphia, history professor Zachary M. Schrag discusses how in 1844, Philadelphia was set aflame by a group of Protestant ideologues—avowed nativists—who were seeking social and political power due to fear of the Irish Catholic immigrant menace. Schrag’s book is a gripping and masterful account of the moment when one of America's founding cities turned on itself, giving the nation a preview of the Civil War to come. Joining Schrag in conversation will be professor Dan Horner.   For Live Captioning, use:  https://www.streamtext.net/player/?event=NARA_The-Fires-of-Philadelphia&chat=true&start=0&bgc=d9d9d9&fgc=000000