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Solomon Haym/American Revelution

 Who Is Haym Salomon?Haym Salomon (also spelled Solomon; April 7, 1740 – January 6, 1785) was a Polish-born Jewish immigrant, merchant, and financial broker who became one of the most pivotal financiers of the American Revolution. Often called the "Financier of the Revolution," he was a Sephardic Jew from Leszno, Poland (then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth), whose family had fled persecution in Portugal. Fluent in multiple languages (including German, French, and Dutch), Salomon traveled Europe in his youth, absorbing revolutionary ideas and financial expertise. He arrived in New York City around 1772 or 1775, just before the war, where he quickly built a successful brokerage business trading bills of exchange (early IOUs for international currency).Salomon was also a devout Jew and community leader: He helped found Philadelphia's Mikveh Israel synagogue (America's second-oldest), donated generously to Jewish causes, and advocated for religious freedom, including pushing Pennsylvania to remove anti-Semitic oaths barring non-Christians from public office. His life was marked by risk—he was imprisoned twice by the British—and tragedy; he died penniless at 44 from tuberculosis (likely worsened by prison conditions), leaving his family in debt after the U.S. government failed to repay his loans (totaling over $650,000, or about $15–20 million today). Despite this, his legacy endures through statues (e.g., Chicago's Heald Square Monument depicting him with George Washington and Robert Morris), a 1975 U.S. postage stamp honoring him as a "Financial Hero," and books like Howard Fast's 1941 novel Haym Salomon, Son of Liberty.How Did He Help the American Revolution and George Washington?Salomon's contributions were crucial during the Revolution's darkest financial hours, when the Continental Congress and army were bankrupt, troops mutinied over unpaid wages, and foreign aid was hard to access. He wasn't a soldier but a behind-the-scenes patriot who used his brokerage skills to convert European loans into usable cash for the American cause. His efforts spanned espionage, fundraising, and direct aid to key leaders, preventing collapse and enabling victories like Yorktown.Key Ways He HelpedContribution

Details

Impact on Revolution & Washington

Early Espionage & Sabotage (1776–1778)

Joined the Sons of Liberty in New York. Arrested by British after a 1776 fire (suspected as arson cover), he was paroled to translate for Hessian (German mercenary) troops. While imprisoned, he encouraged desertions and sabotaged supplies. Rearrested in 1778 and sentenced to death as a spy, he bribed guards and escaped to Philadelphia with his family.

Weakened British forces in New York; his intel and disruptions aided Washington's early retreats and guerrilla tactics, buying time for the Continental Army.

Financial Brokerage for Congress (1781–1784)

Partnered with Robert Morris (Superintendent of Finance) as his primary broker. Sold bills of exchange to U.S. merchants, converting French and Dutch loans (millions in total) into gold/silver for the army. Personally loaned $200,000+ to Morris, often interest-free or at personal risk.

Kept the army supplied with wages, food, uniforms, and munitions; without this, mutinies (like the 1781 Pennsylvania Line revolt) could have ended the war. Washington called him "essential" in letters.

Yorktown Campaign Funding (1781)

When Washington needed $20,000 urgently to march 8,000 troops south (to trap British Gen. Cornwallis at Yorktown, VA), Morris said funds were unavailable. Washington replied: "Send for Haym Salomon." Salomon raised the cash in days via bills of exchange.

Enabled the decisive Yorktown siege (Oct. 1781), where Franco-American forces forced Cornwallis' surrender—effectively ending major fighting. Washington credited this as the "final battle of the Revolution."

Personal Aid to Leaders

Lent money interest-free to Washington, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and others (e.g., $8,000 to Madison in 1781). Legend (possibly apocryphal) says he interrupted a Yom Kippur service in 1779/1781 to donate synagogue funds to a Washington envoy for starving troops.

Sustained Washington's command and the Founders' post-war efforts; his loans "saved the new nation from collapse," per U.S. Postal Service tribute.

Salomon's work was selfless—he took no commissions on many deals and died bankrupt, with descendants unsuccessfully suing the government for repayment into the 19th century. Washington honored him indirectly through religious tolerance (e.g., his 1790 letter to Newport's Hebrew congregation praising America's "bigotry-free" government, echoing Salomon's advocacy). Today, he's a symbol of Jewish-American patriotism, though often overshadowed in history books. For deeper reading, check his Wikipedia page or the American Jewish Historical Society's archives.

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