American Jewish History: A JPS Guide

3. 1813–1880: Settling In

3 1813–1880 Settling In 3 AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY In the early 19th century, European Jews were still experiencing the effects of racially fueled hatred and nationally sponsored discrimination. But in America, by and large, Jews had found a safe haven. Article VI of the United States Constitution guaranteed that, at least on the national level, “no religious test [would] ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States”—meaning that Jewish citizens could hold any federal office, including the presidency. Their small numbers in the population meant that Jews did not present a religious or social threat. Of course, they were still targeted by Christian missionaries: Many in colonial times thought of their Jewish neighbors in the abstract as living incarnations of their biblical ancestors and viewed them as prime candidates for conversion. Yet, in spite of religious differences and missionary zeal, Jews were openly accepted in most communities.1 Their integration into community life allowed them to live quietly and nearly invisibly. Indeed, they assimilated so well, and intermarried in such large numbers, that Jewish life in America was in jeopardy of disappearing. Jews were doing to themselves what fervent Christian missionaries could not. Joseph Lyons of Savannah wrote pessimistically in 1833, “Certainly, a synagogue, as it exists under the present organization, will not be found in the United States fifty years hence.”2 Local Obstacles to Equality The United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights notwithstanding, barriers to full equality in local and state governments still existed. Individual states operated under their own constitutions , and some maintained discriminatory legal practices well into the 19th century. Maryland’s 1649 Act Concerning Religion granted freedom of religion only to those who did not “deny our Saviour Jesus Christ to bee the sonne of God … ,” effectively rendering Jews ineligible to serve in the state militia, practice law, or hold any state government appointment until passage of the “Jew Bill” nearly two centuries later, in 1826. Until 1868, Jews and Catholics in North Carolina were prohibited from holding political office. Not until 1877 were similar rules in New Hampshire finally eliminated. In spite of these obstacles, Jews participated in the electoral process, joined the military, and got themselves elected to 54 The Jew Bill Beginning in 1797, Jewish citizens of Maryland had regularly, but unsuccessfully , petitioned their legislature for equal status “on the same footing with other good citizens.” In 1818, when Maryland’s Jews numbered about 150, a Presbyterian member of the state legislature named Thomas Kennedy filed a bill to “extend to those persons professing the Jewish religion, the same privileges that are enjoyed by Christians.” The Scottish-born Kennedy told his colleagues, “There are not Jews in the country from whence I came nor have I the slightest acquaintance with any Jew in the world.” Kennedy simply believed that religion was “a question which rests, or ought to rest, between man and his Creator alone.” Opposition to the bill was rampant. Year after year the bill was defeated. In 1823, a “Christian Ticket” organized and defeated Kennedy at election time by a margin of 2 to 1. Kennedy was reelected in 1824, the same year he finally succeeded in getting the “Jew Bill” passed. It went into effect in 1826, and later that year two Jews were elected to the Baltimore City Council. 55 1813–1880: SETTLING IN political offices. In 1813, Mordecai Manuel Noah was named as consul in Tunis—the first Jew to be appointed to a diplomatic position. But within two years he was unceremoniously recalled by Secretary of State James Monroe, who used Noah’s Jewishness as a pretext for firing him instead of citing the real reasons. Others embarked on military careers. Uriah Phillips Levy’s passion for the sea carried him from the lowly position of cabin boy at age 10 to commodore, the highest rank in the United States Navy—but his passage there was fraught with obstacles. By the time he was 20, he was part owner of a schooner, the George Washington. He joined the fledgling United States Navy and fought in the War of 1812, along with 40 other Jews, and was captured by the British. He was commissioned as a naval officer in 1817 and received much praise for his command of the Mediterranean fleet. During his rocky ascent through naval ranks, he constantly battled institutional anti...