Too Many Tabs with Pearlmania500

Episode 167: "YOU KNOW NOTHING"
Release Date: March 8, 2026
Hosts: Pearlmania500 (Mr. Pearlmania, "B") & Mrs. Pearlmania ("A")

Overview:

This episode explores the forgotten history of the “Know Nothing” Party, a nativist, anti-immigrant movement of mid-19th century America—how it started, why it mattered, and the chilling echoes it has in the present day. Originally intending to research Brooklyn, Mrs. Pearlmania instead finds herself drawn into the Know Nothings' dark legacy, including the violent riots in Philadelphia and surprising modern-day consequences.

Major Themes

• How nativism and anti-immigrant sentiment mirror the politics of today
• The role of secret societies in American history and their modern analogs
• How anti-Catholic paranoia exploded into deadly violence in Philadelphia
• The ripple effect of historical bigotry: from education to real estate to Trump
• Why Mrs. P can’t help but connect everything back to Philadelphia
• The ironic (and tragic) legacy of Brooklyn, gentrification, and American capitalism

1. Setting the Scene: Brooklyn, Gentrification & Research Rabbit Holes

(Segment: 00:56–05:17)

• The episode starts with the duo visiting Brooklyn, reminiscing about old times, and noting how the borough has changed:

  “It’s been gentrified pretty—yeah, pretty heavily.” (A, 02:38)

• Mrs. Pearlmania resolves to do less Philly-centric content, intending to create a Brooklyn episode. But her research takes a sharp turn when she discovers an obscure political tag:

  “But then I see there’s a mayor and next to his name it says Know Nothing.” (A, 04:33)

• The iconic realization:

  “I laughed at myself. And I’m like, yeah, politicians don’t know nothing. But that’s actually the party… So then I’m like, well, what is the Know Nothing party?” (A, 04:38)

2. America’s OG Anti-Immigrant Rage: Birth of the Know Nothings

(Segment: 06:22–13:54)

• Mrs. P describes the context: a surge in Irish immigration during the Great Hunger (potato famine), and the rise of “nativists” who called themselves “Native Americans”.

  “Since the first immigrant landed… that person said, I don’t like any other immigrants. That’s what I learned from the Know Nothing party.” (A, 05:19) “They called themselves nativists and also Native Americans.” (A, 06:33)

• The secret societies behind the movement:

  “Secret societies start popping up. One called the Order of the United Americans, and then there’s another one called the Order of the Star Spangled Banner.” (A, 08:26)

• Parallels to today:

  “These are literally the exact words out of like Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk.” (B, 11:45) “Nothing is new. Everything is just reinvention.” (B, 12:07)

• The party’s name comes from their secrecy—a running joke and branding triumph:

  “If you ask members about the organization, they would say, ‘I know nothing.’” (A, 12:41)
  “If you come up with an insult for us, eventually that insult becomes our whole personality.” (B, 13:09)

• Extends to today’s “Groypers” and internet radical groups.

3. Know Nothings: Imagery, Irony & Modern Echoes

(Segment: 13:54–22:09)

• Party’s names: the American Party, the Native American Party.

  “The Know Nothing’s party’s official name was the American Party… They also referred to themselves again as the Native American Party.” (A, 15:20, 15:27)

• Connection to Elon Musk’s “America Party”.

• Influence on mainstream American identity and its symbolic links to “Gangs of New York”.

  “That’s the Build a Butcher flag.” (B, 15:44)

• Their exclusionary platform:

  “They wanted… only immigrants who had lived in the US for 25 years could become citizens.” (A, 21:59)

• Notably, the Know Nothings focused their hate on Catholics, particularly Irish—and were not overtly antisemitic:

  “Not antisemitic… the Know Nothings did not really focus their negative energy towards Jewish people. They had to prioritize their disdain for the Irish, German, and French Catholic immigrants.” (A, 24:24–25:08) B’s shock: “I’m legit shocked.” (B, 24:25)

4. The Philadelphia Riots: Nativism Turns Violent

(Segment: 26:06–79:48)

The Setup (Pre-Riot)

• The Know Nothings achieved significant local power, including in intensely Irish cities like Boston and Chicago.

  “Famously non Irish cities. I think you named like the most Irish places in America. Oh, yeah, Boston.” (B, 28:13)

• In Philadelphia, rumors fly that Catholics want to “ban the Bible” from schools.

  “This feels like verbatim. I’ve heard this story like a hundred times already, like…‘They’re trying to get God out of our schools.’” (B, 30:24)

The Riots (1844)

• May 3–8, 1844:
  • Nativist rallies in Kensington end in street fights, shootings, and mobs torching Catholic churches, schools, and homes.
  • Violence explodes as rumors and anti-Catholic speeches escalate.
  • Outnumbered, constables are powerless while slow-moving sheriff posses are delayed by 19th-century communication.

    “This is pigeons, but legit. This is like how fast… What’s as fast as Jerry can get over there?” (B, 42:17)

  • At its peak, the unrest leads to:
    • 14+ killed, 50+ injured
    • Equivalent of $5 million in property damage
    • Entire city paralyzed by fear

Notable Quotes:

• “The nativists ran away. They bitched out… They talked a lot of shit and then they ran away.” (A & B, 38:13–38:18)
• “The fighting spills outside… nativists were shot at by people in the windows of nearby houses and buildings… One or two nativists were reportedly killed.” (A, 40:03)
• “I want to congratulate these soldiers for having rocks thrown at them and not immediately killing kids…” (B, 62:13)

Weapon escalation:

• Mob and state both bring cannons to street fights.

  “The crowd… went to a nearby wharf and got their own cannon… and pointed it at the church.” (A, 66:41)

• “Have you ever been push a massive cannon a mile down the street mad?” (B, 67:53)

Aftermath:

• Bishop Kendrick, originally pushing for Catholic Bibles in school, gives up and pushes for separate Catholic schools—explaining the proliferation of parochial schools in Philadelphia.

  “I can’t stress to you how insane that is that this is why Catholic schools existed in Philadelphia.” (B, 81:00)

• The violence and the inability of the patchwork police to stop it leads to:

  • Formal police force creation,
  • Consolidation of Philadelphia’s districts.

  “Their inability to maintain order effectively in the suburbs directly led to the consolidation of the city in 1854.” (A, 78:42)

• Suits for damages by the Catholic Church become precedent for property law and religious rights.

5. Brooklyn After All: Fraud, Mortgages, & The Trump Connection

(Segment: 84:36–91:49)

• Mrs. Pearlmania finally brings the story back to Brooklyn with a tale from the 1930s:

  • J. Lehrenkrauss & Co.: A mortgage company running fraudulent mortgage schemes during the Depression collapses, devastating small investors.
  • At the bankruptcy hearing (attended by thousands), among the onlookers: Fred Trump, future real estate tycoon and father of Donald Trump.

    “A Queen’s native… Fred Trump. After attending the hearing, Fred Trump acquired the mortgage servicing subsidiary.” (A, 90:24)

• This acquisition allows Fred Trump to buy foreclosed properties cheaply, making his fortune—and laying the groundwork for the Trump family empire:

  “Because of a Ponzi scheme in the 1930s, Donald Trump’s dad was able to snatch up a bunch of tenement housing for a steal… and then… that man’s son [became] the President of the United States.” (B, 91:08)

6. Key Insights & Contemporary Parallels

• The cycles of nativist politics, anti-immigrant hysteria, and exclusionary economics repeat again and again—from the Know Nothings, to property scams, to Trumpism.
• Institutional responses, like parochial schools or city police, often have roots in riots and violence, not grand planning.
• Secret societies, coded language, and group branding (from "Know Nothings" to "Groypers") never go away—they just get new labels and platforms.
• “Historical rhymes” echo in everything from school board fights over Bibles to internet echo chambers and TikTok rumors.

  “Nothing is new. Everything is just reinvention.” (B, 12:07)

7. Notable Quotes & Iconic Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |---|---|---| | 04:38 | A (Mrs. P) | “…I see there’s a mayor and next to his name it says Know Nothing.” | | 06:33 | A | “They called themselves nativists and also Native Americans.” | | 11:45 | B | “These are literally the exact words out of like Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk.” | | 13:09 | B | “If you come up with an insult for us, eventually that insult becomes our whole personality.” | | 21:59 | A | “…only immigrants who had lived in the US for 25 years could become citizens.” | | 24:25 | B | “Not antisemitic… I’m legit shocked.” | | 28:13 | B | “Famously non Irish cities. I think you named like the most Irish places in America.” | | 34:32 | B | “They took Jesus out and put kitty litter in. That’s going all the way back to the 1840s. It’s the same story, same shit.…” | | 40:03 | A | “The fighting spills outside… nativists were shot at by people in the windows…” | | 67:53 | B | “Have you ever been push a massive cannon a mile down the street mad?” | | 81:00 | B | “I can’t stress to you how insane that is that this is why Catholic schools existed in Philadelphia.” | | 90:24 | A | “A Queen’s native… Fred Trump. After attending the hearing, Fred Trump acquired the mortgage servicing subsidiary.” | | 91:08 | B | “…Donald Trump’s dad was able to snatch up a bunch of tenement housing for a steal… that man’s son the President…” |

8. Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:56–05:17 — Opening, Brooklyn reminiscing, why Mrs. P went down this research path
• 06:22–13:54 — Nativism, secret societies, Know Nothing origins & ideology
• 26:06–79:48 — The Philadelphia Riots, escalation, cannons in the street, foundation of modern policing and parochial schools
• 84:36–91:49 — Brooklyn mortgage scams, Fred Trump’s origin story
• Throughout — Running commentary drawing parallels to present-day hate, conspiracy, and scapegoating

9. Conclusion & Legacy

• The Know Nothings’ legacy—of exclusion, scapegoating, and institutional violence—lives on in American political life, city planning, even school choice.
• Historical violence sets deep precedents—from who gets to be “American,” to the creation of our cities, schools, police, and even real estate empires.
• The ripple effects of bigotry, rumor, and economic predation persist far into the present, often echoing almost beat-for-beat in today’s news and scandals.

Final Thoughts

The episode masterfully weaves together history, personal anecdotes, and sharp humor, drawing unapologetic lines between the past and today’s culture wars and political grifts. Both hosts are keenly aware of how old prejudices and power plays never really fade—they just get rebranded, retweeted, or funneled through a mortgage scam and sold to the highest bidder.

“Nothing is new. Everything is just reinvention.” (B, 12:07)

To keep up with the Pearlmanias, find ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more at pearlmania500.net.