11. Boasting a peak membership of three and a half million, the American Protective Association sought to rally support against an alleged Catholic plot to control the United States
After the defeat of Mayor Arnold Walliker in Clinton, Iowa, on March 13, 1887, led by Henry Bowers a group of local nativists gathered to discuss the loss. Blaming their failure on Catholics, whom members of the group equally held responsible for the Civil War, the gathering elected to form a new organization devoted to preventing the secret Papist takeover of American government. Initially small, the American Protective Association grew steadily to more than 11,000 members by the start of 1892. Garnering mainstream attention nationwide, by the middle of the decade the organization had expanded further, encompassing more than 100,000.
Claiming at its peak to enjoy millions of members – a figure disputed by the historical record – the organization began circulating alleged evidence of a Papist plot against the United States. Chiefly composed of forged documents, the movement sought to influence elections to produce candidates, typically Republicans, favorable to their worldview. Credited with aiding the Republican landslide victories in 1894, the APA’s message declined in popularity relative to free silver concerns and the controversy surrounding monetary policy two years later. Collapsing by the end of the decade, the APA was formally terminated with the death of its founder in 1911.