Jordan Mix,
Versailles, KY
I have a strong background of German in my family because it is on my dad’s side and mom’s side. In 1855 my great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents, on my dad’s mom’s side, immigrated from Switzerland and Germany to Louisville, KY. As soon as they got to Louisville Bloody Monday happened. It was an Election Day and a lot of Germans had moved to this area (they were now 1/3 of the population). The issue grew out of a bitter rivalry between the democrats and the Know- Nothing party. The know-nothing party, who was anti-catholic and nativist, did not like the fact that the Germans vote has such power over the election so on Election Day they had armed guards at the poll. Then after the poll closed they went and destroyed homes in the German community and the Irish Catholic Churches. Also they fired and attacked people, dragging them out into the street. After it was all said and done 22 people were killed. My family had just moved to Jefferson (a place in Louisville, KY) and had to suffer this. This event made a lot of the immigrants pack up and leave, but not my family. Some of them still live there today. I chose these six words because these people prosecuted the Germans just because they were different. What if I had lived in that time? I would’ve been the one scared after just moving there and being attacked just because of my culture. My family had to deal with a lot of difficulties just moving to the U.S, let alone being attacked and having their lives ruined just because they were German.
