Jonathan Ridgeway (l.), chairman of the state Sons of the Revolution Color Guard, marches with fellow guard member Ambrose Richardson,
who is carrying a flag bearing the symbol of Revolution-era organization the Sons of Liberty. Photo by Joe Anuta
Posted on 05/20/2011 10:16:01 AM PDT by Pharmboy
Haym Salomon, a Polish immigrant who funded the Revolutionary army, celebrated at annual event
Jonathan Ridgeway (l.), chairman of the state Sons of the Revolution Color Guard, marches with fellow guard member Ambrose Richardson,
who is carrying a flag bearing the symbol of Revolution-era organization the Sons of Liberty. Photo by Joe Anuta
America pays tribute to Paul Revere and George Washington with legends, statues and even currency, but a small crowd gathered in Kew Gardens Hills Sunday to remember an unsung hero of the Revolutionary War.
Haym Salomon was a Polish Jew who immigrated to the 13 Colonies and became the primary fund-raiser of the Revolutionary army.
“There are many people who helped the struggle in different ways,” said Jeff Gottlieb, president of the Queens County Jewish Historical Society, which hosted the event. “There are front-line warriors or foreign diplomats ... and others who stayed the course, but what this guy did was so good.”
Salomon raised money by selling bonds throughout the war, but he also played a crucial role toward the end of the fight.
“He managed to raise enough money in the last years of the war to pay for Washington’s armies,” Gottlieb said.
And yet, Salomon died penniless, passing off the money he made to the war effort, according to Gottlieb.
The ceremony was held at a triangular parcel of land between Main Street, 72nd Road and Veigh Place — curiously named Haym Salomon Square.
The color guard of the Sons of the Revolution and members of the Junior ROTC marched with historic and contemporary flags to kick off the ceremony.
In attendance was Bill Sachs, a filmmaker who is creating a book and documentary about Salomon.
“Most people don’t know who he is,” Sachs said. “He is almost a Founding Father. Without him we might not have won the war.”
Salomon also loaned money to Revolutionary icons like James Madison.
But not only that, Salomon has some legendary stories that would rival other figures of the time.
Salomon first came to New York City where he became involved with the Sons of Liberty and survived two trips to the notorious and fetid prison ships that were anchored along the East River — although he would later die from tuberculosis he contracted during one of his internments.
Just when he was about to be hanged for his role in stirring up opposition to the British forces after his second prison sentence, he was spared because of his knowledge of German and business acumen.
Salomon then walked to Philadelphia to escape British detection, Sachs said, and began to feverishly raise funds for the Continental army.
And that is why Salomon deserves to be remembered, according to Gottlieb.
“He had a choice,” Gottlieb said. “He first came to New York, he could have become a Torry, he would have made a great deal more money in the city. He could have become a power broker, but instead he stayed the course. He went to Philadelphia and cast his lot with the American side.”
The Queens Jewish Historical Society commemorates Salomon each year.
The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list
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Savage has a collection at the Kew gardens.........
Almost all the Jews were Patriots with very few Tories. One-hundred and twenty-five American Jews were under arms in the Continental Army. This comes from Benson Bobrick's excellent RevWar history Angel in the Whirlwind.
And while I'm at it, another interesting point he brings out in his book is the fact that more blacks than whites died during the war. Why? When the Brits promised freedom to the slaves when war broke out, many fled the plantations and were then placed in camps (the Brits had no real plans for them). Typhus and smallpox then wiped out tens of thousands...
Look him up in Findagrave.com. He’s there.
Great post!
This from Wiki:
In August of 1781, the Continental Army had trapped Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis in the little Virginia coastal town of Yorktown. George Washington and the main army and the Count de Rochambeau with his French army decided to march from the Hudson Highlands to Yorktown and deliver the final blow. But Washington's war chest was completely empty, as was that of Congress. Washington determined that he needed at least $20,000 to finance the campaign. When Morris told him there were no funds and no credit available, Washington gave him a simple but eloquent order: "Send for Haym Salomon". Haym again came through, and the $20,000 was raised. Washington conducted the Yorktown campaign, which proved to be the final battle of the Revolution, thanks to Haym Salomon.
It appears that without Salomon, the miracle of Yorktown may not have happened.
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Did he die without children? I see no one has claimed him as a patriot ancestor in the DAR database.
Very interesting!
mark
There’s a marker there, and we know he’s buried in that cemetery, but as to his exact grave: unknown.
Thanks Pharmboy.
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Pass it on!
Done.
I know someone of which Mr Salomon is a distant cousin & is part of their bloodline....
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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