Tyler Anbinder focuses on the establishment of Castle Garden in 1855 as a centralized reception center to protect immigrants from swindlers. Hubert Glenn, an Irish-speaking clerk, managed record-keeping there for nearly 40 years, though most of these reco

Tyler Anbinder focuses on the establishment of Castle Garden in 1855 as a centralized reception center to protect immigrants from swindlers. Hubert Glenn, an Irish-speaking clerk, managed record-keeping there for nearly 40 years, though most of these records were tragically destroyed in an 1897 fire. Anbinder also explores the political landscape, specifically the rise of the Know-Nothing Party. This nativist movement sought to disenfranchise Irish Catholics by extending naturalization requirements to 21 years. Although the party gained significant power in the mid-1850s, its influence faded as the national debate shifted toward the issue of slavery. (6)
1870 CASTLE GARDEN