Grant expels Jews from Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi
On this day in 1862 during the Civil War U.S.Army General Ulysses S.Grant the future 18th president of the United States issues General Order No.
11 expelling Jews suspected of engaging in war profiteering from a region occupied by the Union Army.Grant was commander of the militarys administrative department of Tennessee (consisting of Tennessee Kentucky and Mississippi) and was in charge of issuing trade licenses.Although President Abraham Lincoln permitted limited trade in southern cotton Grant was tasked with shutting down the black-market trade in the cotton industry.Swayed by the commonly held prejudice that Jews were largely responsible for war profiteering Grant blamed the districts Jewish community for organizing the illegal trade in black-market cotton.Grants order prohibited the issuing of trade licenses to Jews within the Tennessee district.
Furthermore it required them to leave the district within 24 hours of the order or risk imprisonment.Grants zealous underlings immediately began to enforce the order Entire families were marched out of town with only what they could carry.According to the American Jewish Historical Societys research Lincoln did not know about Grants order and expressed surprise when a group of Jewish leaders met with him to protest Grants decree.President Lincoln disapproved of the order and expressed his disbelief to Grant in a letter a paper purporting to be [issued by you] has been presented here.
It expels all Jews from your department.If such an order has been issued it will be immediately revoked.Three days later Grant obeyed the commander in chiefs orders and revoked General Order No.
11.Lincoln later told Jewish representatives that to condemn a class is to say the least to wrong the good with the bad and promised to not only rid the country of slavery but to protect Americans from religious discrimination.Grants reputation was not tarnished by the General Order No.11 episode.
In fact after the war most Americans regarded Grant as a hero and he went on to win the majority of the Jewish vote in the presidential election of 1868.As president he appointed Jews to top federal positions.
