Conversation so far:
who were the know nothings and what did they want
The Know Nothing, formally known as the Native American Party and the American Party from 1855 onwards, was a far-right nativist political party and movement in the United States.
was the the know nothings a movement
The Know Nothing was primarily an anti-Catholic, anti-immigration, and xenophobic movement, originally starting as a secret society.
where did the know nothings name originate from
Adherents to the movement were to simply reply I know nothing when asked about its specifics by outsiders, providing the group with its common name.

Question: was the group a political party
Self-contained rewrite: was the know nothings a political party