Here is the little-known story of the selfless and patriotic Jewish merchant who raised money to finance the American Revolution and the new nation. Milgrim vividly recreates Haym Salomon’s exploits with the underground Sons of Liberty and portrays patriotism as the natural outgrowth of his Jewish heritage.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Patriotic,
This review is from: Haym Salomon: Liberty's Son (Paperback)
Haym Salomon, a Jewish refugee from Poland, arrived in New York in the spring of 1775, just weeks after shots were first exchanged between British soldiers and Americans at Lexington and Concord.
He found a job as a distiller and in his free time studied the grievances of the thirteen colonies issued by Congress. Then he joined the Sons of Liberty and became a provisions supplier for American troops at Lake George. Twice, Salomon was arrested by the British and thrown into Provost Prison by Warden William Cunningham, and twice he escaped. Once, he offered to serve as a German interpreter for the Hessian mercenaries-who he convinced to join liberty's cause. Next, he convinced his Hessian guard to unlock his door, in exchange for a free passage to desert to Washington's side. His second escape brought Salomon to the Dobbes Ferry landing, where none of the troops owned a complete uniform, new musket or unbent bayonet. The men were thin, dressed in buckskin shirts and coonskin caps, and their shoes were tied with rope. Salomon, at 40, realized he was too old to serve himself, but he proposed to General Alexander McDougall that he could assist the cause by raising money from the Jewish community in Philadelphia, 100 miles away. Though ill, he set off on foot to do his patriotic best. In Philadelphia, he began trading and his success brought the notice and respect of detractors who had once baited him as the "haggler Jew" or "Jew broker." Before long, he had earned enough to give money to the Continental Congress and its army. His first gestures were to General Casimir Pulaski, who had been authorized by Congress to raise the Pulaski legion. Robert Morris, the head of Willing and Morris, had reluctantly accepted control of all finances to pay for the Revolution. He was soon at his wits' end in efforts to give the necessary help. He even approached the Quakers, though he reportedly demeaned them. But he could not bring himself to ask for money from Jews. Finally, the situation grew so bad that General Washington himself appealed to Morris to see Haym Salomon. On Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, Morris at last sought Salomon's help. In fifteen minutes, Salomon raised $20,000 from the congregation of Jewish worshipers, who were anxious to save American soldiers from starvation and cold. As news of Salomon's devotion spread, he was approached by all the famous officers and politicians of the day--including John Paul Jones, General Daniel Morgan, Thomas Jefferson, Thaddeus Kosciusko and General Benjamin Lincoln. Salomon bankrupted his family with his generosity. But when his wife asked whether there would be any inheritance for their children, he said, "Yes, a country where they'll be free to differ in the way they worship God and still enjoy the friendship of other people." They would have opportunities for happiness equal to that of others, and a feeling of being as important to the new nation as anyone else. Soon, Salomon was buying French army bills to support the young nation's ally. French minister Chevalier de la Luzerne called on Salomon and said, "[You] in your little office on Front Street are doing for the nation's credit what Washington is doing on the battlefield for the people's independence." In September 1783 the treaty of peace was formally signed in Paris. Haym Salomon was responsible for the financial success of the Revolutionary War. This is an important book for children to understand the contribution of minorities to America's founding. --Alyssa A. Lappen
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Haym Salomon,
By
This review is from: Haym Salomon: Liberty's Son (Paperback)
Haym Salomon Son of Liberty by Howard Fast is a much better book on this subject. The cover says it is written for "young people" but it is so well written that adults would enjoy it also.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
