Jews Financed American Revolution: Story of Haym Salomon By @CherylWroteIt

 In the name of ALLAH, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Jews Financed American Revolution: Story of Haym Salomon By @CherylWroteIt

America is the greatest country in the world. It was a land built out of a great war, a war for its freedom from imperial rule. But like all wars, they are costly, and the founding fathers and their people had run out of money. That is until one man stepped in. A patriot. A man who gave everything he had, and much more, to help the founding fathers defeat the British.

“October 17, 1781… An eerie silence takes hold over the battlefield outside Yorktown, Virginia. After weeks of non-stop artillery shells and rifle fire, the rhythmic pounding of a drum is all that is heard. Through the wispy smoke that floats above the battlefield, a British officer can be seen waving a white flag. General Cornwallis has surrendered Yorktown, ending the last major battle of the American Revolution. The surrender of Yorktown and the nearly 8,000 British troops convinced the British Parliament to start negotiating an end to the war. On September 3, 1783, the treaty of Paris was signed. The war was over.” (J. Percoco, American Battlefield Trust)

But if it weren’t for Haym Salomon, the decisive victory at Yorktown never would have happened.

Haym Salomon was born in Leszno, Poland, in 1740. He came from a family of Sephardim who fled Portugal during the Inquisition to seek refuge in Poland. In 1770, he fled Poland for London due to the Partition of Poland. Five years later, he left London for New York City, where he established himself as a broker for international merchants.

Haym joined the New York branch of the Sons of Liberty, a secret society that sought to undermine British interests in the colonies. He was drawn to the patriot movement and wanted to help. In 1776, he was arrested by the British and charged with espionage, but was later pardoned on condition that he spend 18 months on a British ship serving as a translator for the Hessian mercenaries since he was fluent in Polish, French, German, Russian, Spanish and Italian. (Y. Kaufmann, Chabad)

During that time, Haym used his position to help hundreds of American prisoners escape. He also convinced many Hessian soldiers to abandon the British and join the American forces.

He was arrested again in 1778 and sentenced to death for his part in aN operation to burn the British Royal fleet in the New York Harbour. He was sent to Provost awaiting execution, but managed to escape under the cover of darkness. He fled New York, which was under the control of the British army, and moved to Philadelphia, the capital of the Revolution.

He started a business as a dealer of bills of exchange, where his office was located near a coffee house visited by the command of the American forces. He was also the agent to the French consul and the paymaster for the French forces in North America.

Haym became friendly with Robert Morris, the new Superintendent of Finance for the thirteen colonies. Between 1781 and 1784, through both fundraising and personal loans, he financed George Washington with over $650,000, today worth over $13 million. (J. Percoco, American Battlefield Trust)

By 1781, the American congress was literally broke. The huge cost of financing the war effort had taken its toll. In September 1781, George Washington marched on Yorktown to engage General Cornwallis. A huge French fleet was on its way from the West Indies under the command of Comte De Grasse. The fleet would only be able to stay until the end of October, so Washington was facing considerable pressure to lead an attack on Yorktown before then. (Y. kaufmann)

With supplies and food running low after marching through Pennsylvania, Washington’s troops were on the verge of mutiny. They demanded a month's pay in coins, not congressional paper money which was practically worthless. Washington wrote to Robert Morris stating an urgent need for $20,000 to finance the campaign. Morris responded that there was no funds left to which Washington wrote in reply “Send for Haym Salomon.” (O. Waxman, Time, 2017)

Within days, Haym Salomon had raised the $20,000 needed for what proved to be the decisive victory of the Revolution.

After the war, Haym’s selflessness and patriotism continued. He had a reputation for helping veterans of the Revolutionary War. Whenever he met someone who he felt had sacrificed during the war and needed financial assistance, he didn’t hesitate to do whatever he could to help. (Chabad)

He was also heavily involved in the Jewish community. He was a member of the Congregation Mikveh Yisroel in Philadelphia, the fourth oldest synagogue in America, and was responsible for the majority of the funds used to build the synagogue’s main building. He also served as the treasurer to the Society for the Relief of Destitute Strangers, the first Jewish charitable organization in Philadelphia.

Then, on January 8, 1785, Haym died suddenly at the age of 44. Due to the fact that the government owed him hundreds of thousands of dollars and were unable to repay their debts, Haym’s family was left penniless. He gave everything for the republic. He was a patriot and a hero.

So when you hear any true American attacking the Jews and telling us to “go back to Poland”, remind them of the story of Haym Salomon, the American patriot and financier from Poland, who helped the founding fathers pay for the war and whom without, America would not exist today.

About the Author:  Cheryl E 🇮🇱🎗️ @CherylWroteIt; Mother. Wife. History buff. Forever a Soldier. Proud Jew. Write what I think, so if you don’t like it, bite me.



NOTE: The above is taken from the link below:-