National Geographic | National Geographic

National Geographic

HATE FUELED ONE
POLITICAL PARTY
—AND KILLED IT

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

In today’s newsletter, we examine a U.S. political party that preached hate—and then collapsed; explore how a teenage brain works … and discover a new owl species and the first black Canada lynx. Plus, see 15 of our top photos this century.

An illustration of men fighting in the streets

GRANGER/ALBUM

They sought to inflame.

This U.S. political party slammed “elites,” lambasted immigrants, and pushed violence, hateful ethnic stereotypes, and fear. The secretive Know-Nothing Party resonated with many Americans of the 1840s and 1850s, inciting riots (pictured above, violence in Philadelphia after Know-Nothings burned a Catholic church).

The political party, once led by former president Millard Fillmore, suddenly collapsed in the mid-1850s. What happened? One reason: Many followers joined a new, more tolerant group, the Republican Party, soon to be led by Abraham Lincoln.

Read the full story here.

Please, consider getting our full digital report and magazine by subscribing here.

STORIES WE'RE FOLLOWING

A photo of a small owl being held

PHOTOGRAPH BY BÁRBARA FREITAS

A new species of owl, with a haunting screech, has been discovered (A captured Principe scops-owl, pictured above.)

15 of our top photographs from this century

What doctors didn’t tell you about COVID and its vaccines

Teenage brains: What makes teens act the way they do?

ISIS tried to destroy an ancient palace; archaeologists just found treasures in the ruins

These twins will make you rethink your views on race

Black Canada lynx spotted for first time ever

What would Earth look like if all the ice melted?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

A picture of a train on a bridge with Mount Fuji in the background.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL YAMASHITA, @YAMASHITAPHOTO

Bullet Train: The Brad Pitt film takes place on Japan’s Tokaido Shinkansen, the busiest high-speed train in the world. This was Japan’s first bullet train line—and the train now travels as fast as 177 mph (285 kph). That means a trip from Tokyo to Osaka can take as little as two hours and 22 minutes. (Pictured here, the Tokaido Shinkansen zooms past Mount Fuji, Japan's highest peak.)

JAPAN’S UNFORGETTABLE TRAINS

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A photograph of a man standing on flesh from a whale

PHOTOGRAPH BY COLLART HERVÉ, SYGMA/GETTY IMAGES

The last whaling season? The owner of Iceland’s last whaling company has been hunting whales since he was 13 years old—and he doesn’t intend to stop. But with less than 2 percent of Icelanders eating whale meat and a “forward-thinking” new fisheries minister, Iceland may have had its last whaling season. “The practice is a part of our past rather than our future,” the fisheries minister, Svandís Svavarsdóttir, tells Nat Geo. (Pictured above, workers in Iceland carving steaks from whale carcasses in 1989.)

END OF ICELAND’S HUNT?

LAST GLIMPSE

An aerial photograph of ruins on a mountain ridge

PHOTOGRAPH BY VICTOR ZEA

Rivaling Machu Picchu: In the Peruvian Andes, the ruins of the ancient Inca settlement of Choquequirao can only be reached by foot or mule—which, for many, only adds to the appeal. A cousin to the famous Machu Picchu site, Choquequirao boasts ceremonial halls, chambers that once held mummies, and mysterious llama art. A proposed cable car could make the site more accessible, for better and worse, Nat Geo reports. (Above, the 10,000-foot-high Choquequirao ruins photographed by Nat Geo Explorer Victor Zea.)

MACHU PICCHU'S COUSIN

Readers, a staggering number of pumpkins end up in landfills. How do you avoid pumpkin waste—compost them, eat the seeds, make a pie or bread? Let us know at [email protected].

We hope you liked today’s newsletter. This was edited and curated by Sydney Combs, Jen Tse, Heather Kim, and David Beard. Have an idea or a link for us? Write [email protected]. Happy trails!

Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply.

This email was sent to: [email protected]. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored.

This email contains an advertisement from:
National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036

Stop all types of future commercial email from National Geographic regarding its products, services, or experiences.

Manage all email preferences with the Walt Disney Family of Companies.

© 2022 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.