Most Americans have no awareness of the Jewish presence during Colonial America and the American Revolution. Nevertheless, Jews wielded significant influence in the revolution despite their small numbers.
At the start of the American Revolution, there were approximately 2,000 to 3,000 Jews in the Colonies. Most were Sephardic Jews, or the Jews of Spain and Portugal, seeking refuge from the Inquisitions and antisemitism in Europe. Some immigrated directly to America, while others temporarily resided in London, Amsterdam, and elsewhere in Europe before making the journey.
While a significant number openly embraced their Jewish identity, others were crypto-Jews. Crypto-Jews is the term for Jews who concealed their Jewishness. Many Jews in Spain and Portugal were forced to convert to Christianity under the threat of death, leading them to practice their Jewish faith covertly.
The Colonies offered Jews a more hospitable and unrestricted environment than Europe where legal barriers and rampant antisemitism prevailed. In the United States, Jews achieved levels of success previously unrealized.
Similar to their fellow colonial Americans, Jews found themselves divided in their loyalties, though a significant majority aligned with the Patriot cause for an independent America. Like their compatriots, they resisted the British Parliament's taxation of the colonies. However, some Jews had ambivalent sentiments, considering the freedoms they experienced under British governance.
For many Jews, participating in the war for American independence presented a chance to contribute to the nation's founding and attain equality with their peers.
The following are three of the most prominent Jews in the American Revolution: Francis Salvador, Haym Salomon, and Modedcai Sheftall
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Francis Salvador was the first Jew to hold public office in the Colonies and the first Jewish casualty of the American Revolution. Born into a Sephardic Jewish family of Portuguese descent in London, Salvador migrated to South Carolina in 1773, where he founded a plantation.
A staunch supporter of the patriot cause, Salvador advocated for independence from British rule upon his arrival. He won election to the Provincial Congresses of South Carolina, where he ardently promoted the cause of liberty.
In 1776, Salvador earned the moniker of "Southern Paul Revere" for alerting American troops to the approaching British fleet, which he observed from his estate. Thanks to his timely alert, the colonists successfully defended the port.
Salvador was shot and scalped during a battle by Cherokee Indians who were fighting for the British.
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Haym Salomon was the key financier of the Revolution and was Treasurer of the Army. Sephardic of Spanish descent, he was born in Poland and immigrated to New York City.
Salomon gave interest-free loans to the Continental Government and financially supported James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Edmund Randolph, and the Generals Friedrich Von Steuben and Arthur St. Clair. When George Washington faced the need for funds to sustain the war effort, he turned to Salomon, who secured the resources.
Despite his significant contributions, Salomon died penniless as the government failed to repay his loans.
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Mordecai Sheftall, an Ashkenazi and Orthodox Jew, was the highest-ranking Jewish officer during the Revolutionary War. Born in Savannah, Georgia, Sheftall had a significant role in Georgia's colonial affairs, assuming various civic and military responsibilities.
Sheftall advocated for rebellion against British authority, spearheading efforts to organize revolutionary armies and financing essential supplies. He served as the head of the local revolutionary committee and was appointed Deputy Commissary General of Issues for Georgia by the Continental Congress.
In 1778, Sheftall was slated to assume the role of Deputy Commissary General for Federal troops. However, before formal approval, he and his son were captured by the British. Incarcerated aboard the infamous British prison ship, the Nancy, they endured harsh treatment. Despite their parole to a British-supervised town, where British loyalists targeted Patriots during the British evacuation, Sheftall and his son attempted to escape by sea, only to be recaptured and sent to Antigua. Their release finally came in 1780, and they reunited with their family in Philadelphia.
Sheftall was financially ruined by the war. His loans to the Continental Congress and Georgia went unpaid, and much of his property was seized by the British during his imprisonment.