On August 6 1855 the nativist “Know Nothing” party, motivated by anti-Catholic conspiracy theories and hatred of Irish and German migrants, instigated deadly mob violence in Louisville, Kentucky. Dozens were killed, homes were burned, and migrants fled the city. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_...

Bloody Monday - Wikipedia

Vance seems to be deliberately and literally recreating this, except for the bizarre part where he's supposedly Catholic.

feels relevant

St. Louis had numerous episodes of mob violence perpetuated by nativists against Irish immigrants in the 1840s and 1850s as well. dynamic.stlouis-mo.gov/history/even...

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