You are quite right. I learned about the Federal Laws against the Chinese as well as the racism the Irish faced from Dr. Thomas Sowell's very interesting book about economics/politics and racism. If I remember correctly a Negro Slave was worth more than an Irish man. A Negro Slave was not allowed to work the docks since they cost more as a commodity than the replacement cost of an Irish man. The Irish were a dime a dozen I guess. It was fascinating. Hopefully I am remembering that correctly.
1983. The Economics and Politics of Race. I still have the book.
Why the heck FNC hired that Jesse Jackson offspring instead of Dr. Sowell is beyond me.
The GOP formed out of Whigs, abolitionist democrats, and Freesoilers. The Freesoil party was a primarily abolitionist party that only existed for a short while but took a considerable number of house seats and lent courage to abolitionists from both parties who went on to reform under the GOP banner.