Continentals refers to paper currency issued by the Continental Congress in 1775 to help fund the American Revolutionary War. Continentals quickly lost value, partly because they were not backed by a physical asset like gold or silver, but also due to the fact that too many bills were printed
Not sure if this is the answer your looking for but one could be They reacted to it harshly, and were suspicious of all immigrants that came to American from a communist country