THE JEWISH PATRIOT WHO HELPED WIN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

by David Kiern

Every Fourth of July, we remember the courageous men and women who gave birth to the United States of America. But one of the most remarkable heroes of the Revolution is rarely mentioned today: a Jewish immigrant who risked his life, used his fortune and helped keep the American cause alive when the new nation was running out of money.

Enjoy this incredible story of Haym Salomon—the forgotten Jewish Patriot who helped America win its freedom.

A PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTOOD THE MEANING OF FREEDOM

The Jewish population of the thirteen colonies was remarkably small. Only a few thousand Jews lived in America when the Revolution began, gathered mainly in cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Newport, Charleston and Savannah. Yet this small community made an extraordinary contribution to the birth of the United States.

For centuries, Jewish people scattered among the nations had endured expulsion, persecution, religious restrictions and exclusion from full citizenship. They knew what it meant to live at the mercy of kings and governments that could withdraw their protection at any moment. In the American colonies, they saw the possibility of something rare: a nation where they could worship the God of Israel openly, build families and businesses, and participate in public life without abandoning their Jewish identity.

The language of the Revolution also carried a deeply familiar biblical resonance. The foundational story of the Jewish people was the Exodus—the God of Israel hearing the cries of the oppressed, confronting a tyrant and leading His people from slavery into freedom. Many Jewish colonists recognized that America’s struggle for liberty could help create a kind of nation the world had seldom seen. And among the Jewish Patriots who embraced that cause, one man would make a contribution so significant that later generations would call him the financier of the American Revolution.

A JEWISH IMMIGRANT CHOOSES THE CAUSE OF LIBERTY

Haym Salomon was born in Poland in 1740 and grew up in a Europe where Jewish communities frequently lived under restrictions and uncertainty. As a young man, he traveled across the continent, learned several languages and developed an understanding of finance and international commerce.

In the early 1770s, Salomon crossed the Atlantic and settled in New York City just as resistance to British rule was reaching a breaking point. He soon joined the Sons of Liberty and committed himself to the Patriot cause.

ARRESTED BY THE BRITISH, CONDEMNED TO DIE

When the British occupied New York in 1776, they arrested him as a suspected spy. Because he spoke German, the British used him as an interpreter for the Hessian soldiers they had hired to fight the colonists. Salomon turned that opportunity against his captors, encouraging some of the German soldiers to desert and helping American prisoners escape.

The British arrested him again in 1778 and sentenced him to death. Salomon escaped before the sentence could be carried out, leaving behind his possessions and fleeing to Philadelphia. He arrived with very little, but rather than abandon the Revolution that had nearly cost him his life, he devoted himself even more fully to the cause of American independence.

THE SYNAGOGUE OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

After escaping New York, Salomon became a prominent member of Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia. Founded in 1740, the historic congregation is still active today and is known by an extraordinary name: the Synagogue of the American Revolution.

Its members did not stand on the sidelines while America fought for independence. Some served in the military. Others supplied food, clothing and equipment to the Continental Army. Jewish merchants signed agreements refusing to import British goods, while members of the congregation contributed funds that helped keep the Revolution alive.

Salomon became one of its greatest supporters. When the congregation constructed its first synagogue building, he pledged the largest individual contribution. He later served in positions of leadership and joined other Jewish citizens in challenging Pennsylvania’s religious test for public office.

THE JEWISH PATRIOT WHO FINANCED THE REVOLUTION

By 1781, the American Revolution was in serious financial danger. Congress could print money, but its paper currency had become almost worthless. Soldiers needed to be fed and clothed, military supplies had to be purchased, and foreign financial assistance had to be converted into funds the government could actually use. Courage alone could not sustain an army.

Salomon established himself as a trusted financial broker and worked closely with Robert Morris, the superintendent of finance for the United States. He sold government securities, negotiated financial instruments and helped transform loans and foreign aid into usable money. His command of languages and familiarity with European commerce made him especially valuable to representatives of France, Spain and other nations whose support was vital to the American cause.

He also personally assisted members of the Continental Congress who had gone months without being paid. James Madison recorded borrowing money from Salomon when he was unable to cover his ordinary expenses.

Salomon is described as “the man who financed the American Revolution.” When America desperately needed money, credit and financial skill, this Jewish immigrant risked his own security to win America’s freedom.

This Fourth of July, as we thank God for the freedoms we enjoy, let us remember Haym Salomon—a Jewish Patriot who risked his life and fortune for the cause of American independence. He helped build a nation that would become a place of freedom, opportunity, and refuge for generations of Jewish people.