Grants Obnoxious Order:

Lincolns Stand for the Jewish People in 1862

Danny Rubin

University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

March 5th 2017

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In 1790, just months after being elected as president, George

Washington ensured the Jewish people that the government of the

United States gives to bigotry no sanction.1 Although there was only

about 3,000 Jews in America at the time, George Washington

recognized the importance in preventing America from being just

another country in which the Jews were excluded and exiled. For the

most part, in America, a country that was founded on equality and

emphasizes freedom of religion in its first amendment of the

Constitution, an official anti-Semitic order seemed impossible. For

thousands of years, Jews were given harsh orders by powerful

individuals that deprived them of their human rights and forced them

to leave their homes. According to the American Constitution, these

types of cruelties were never supposed to occur, however, on

December 17th 1862, they did. In the midst of the Civil War, General

Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) issued General Order No. 11 that

expelled approximately 150,000 Jews from his territory in Southern

Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri. It read:

The Jews, as a class violating every regulation of trade

established by the Treasury Department and also department

orders, are hereby expelled from the department

1 George Washington to The Jews of Newport. August 17, 1790. Newport, RI.
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[encompassing Tennessee, Kentucky and northern Mississippi]

within twenty-four hours from the receipt of this order.2

Although Grants order lasted for only a few weeks before being

rescinded, it had powerful effects on Jewish people across the country.

Despite being widely considered as just a footnote in American history,

General Order 11 brought to focus the anti-Semitism still present in

America and paradoxically changed the course of Jewish life in America

for the better. However, this poses the question: How could such a

powerful order be revoked in only a matter of weeks? In the end, it was

Abraham Lincolns (1809-1865) moral values, his national vision of

equality and close friendships with Jews that allowed him to overcome

the ancient prejudice against the Jews and take a stand against his

close political advisors and friends.

During the Civil War, issues over anti-Semitism and religious

freedom were pushed aside due to the growing tensions between the

North and the South over slavery. However, the most notorious official

anti-Jewish act in American history occurred during the Civil War when

Grant sent out General Order 11 in 1862. By 1862, the Jewish

population of America had increased to nearly 200,000 and with the

increase in Jewish population came an increase in hatred and anti-

Semitism. Grants ability to blame the Jews as a class brought back

2 "General Orders No.11." Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to HDQRS. 13th A.C, Dept. of
the Tenn. December 17, 1862. Holly Springs, NC.
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horrible memories of anti-Semitic Europe during its darkest times.

Despite being enemies in the Civil War, the North still relied on the

South for cotton and, to regulate trade, Abraham Lincoln required that

cotton-trading merchants receive trading permits from local Union

authorities, one of whom was General Grant. However, in 1862, when

cotton prices began to rise, this system inevitably led to bribery, false

permits, biases and vast amounts of illicit trading and smuggling. 3 As

the black market became increasingly unpredictable and more illegal

traders appeared in his territory, Grant became worried that the

corruption of cotton trading would negatively affect his military. By

November 1862, Grant was confident that the black market and the

increase in unlicensed traders was due to mostly Jews and other

unprincipled traders,4 despite the fact that the majority of the illegal

traders were not Jewish. Grant, like many other Americans, held onto

the long standing ugly prejudice that Jews are extremely avaricious

and immediately blamed them for the corruption and ordered that no

Jews be permitted to travel on the railroad southward [into the

Department of the Tennessee] from any point,5 and refused to grant

any Jews permits as well. When the illegal trade failed to cease, Grant

issued his infamous General Order 11.

3Bertram Wallace Korn. American Jewry and the Civil War. Philadelphia: Jewish
Publication Society of America, 1951.

4Ulysses S. Grant. The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant. Volume 1:1837-1861

5Robert N. Rosen. The Jewish Confederates. (Columbia, SC: University of South
Carolina, 2000), 100.
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Immediately after General Grants order to expel the Jews from

his territory, a small group of Jewish merchants affected by the

expulsion sent a letter directly to President Lincoln informing him about

Grants shocking order. In the letter, Cesar Kaskel condemns Grants

order referring to it as an enormous outrage on all law and humanity

and that if carried out this order would be the grossest violation of the

Constitution and our rights as good citizens under it.6 Lincoln, taken

aback by this act of hatred in his own country, asked Kaskel so the

children of Israel were driven from the happy land of Canaan? In

response, Kaskel told Lincoln that this is why we have come unto

Father Abrahams bosom asking for protection.7 Upon hearing this,

Lincoln assured Kaskel and the Jews protection and took immediate

action. After meeting with Kaskel in Washington on January 3rd 1863,

just 48 hours after Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation, he wrote

Grant saying, If such an order has been issued, it will be immediately

revoked.8 Lincoln later shamed Grant in a letter explaining that

reprimanding individuals for disobeying regulations was appropriate,

however, stereotyping a large group of people was directly against

what America stands for. Just three days after Grant received the letter

from President Lincoln, the order was revoked. When addressing the
6 "Plea from deported Jewish citizens." Cesar Kaskel to President Abraham Lincoln.
December 29, 1862. Paducah, KY.
7Bertram Wallace Korn. Lincoln and the Jews. Journal of the Illinois State Historical
Society 48, no. 2 (1955): 182.
8 Abraham Lincoln to General H.W. Halleck. January 4, 1863. Washington D.C..
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public on his decision to revoke the order, Lincoln famously stated his

belief that to condemn a class is, to say the least, to wrong the good

with the bad.9 Lincoln later claims that he would never allow any

American to be wronged because of his religious affiliation and that

he makes no difference between Jew and Gentile. Despite being

revoked, General Order 11 proved to have lingering effects, both short-

term and long-term. This order intensified the Jewish peoples fear that,

with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Jewish people

would overtake the blacks as the countrys most hated minority.10 It

was a common fear among Jewish leaders that freedom for the black

slaves would cause a lot of pain and suffering for the Jews. However,

Lincolns repeal of the order helped transform Grants ideals about the

Jewish people and rid the Jews of their fears.

Grants order was the most blatant official attack on the Jews in

American history and proved that anti-Semitism was still very present,

even in a country founded on freedom. Grants use of the Jews as a

scapegoat stemmed from his anti-Semitism in which he described the

Israelites as an an intolerable nuisance. Additionally, Grant held

onto old stereotypes and considered all Jews to be profiteers,

traders, and speculators.11 Grants order was not an uncommon

9 Korn, Lincoln and the Jews, 181.
10Jonathan D. Sarna. Jews and the Civil War. Edited by Adam Mendelsohn. (New York,
NY: New York University Press, 2011), 88.
11Lawrence Grossman. Grants Anti-Semitism And Tolerance. Forward 11 (2012):
15.
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appearance of anti-Semitism in George Washingtons equal America

at the time of the Civil War. In fact, numerous other well-known army

officers on both the Union and Confederate sides criticized Jewish

beliefs and business practices in the form of hate slurs. For example,

General Henry W. Halleck, another commanding Union officer,

publically linked Jew peddlers and traitors.12 Although Lincoln

immediately forced the order to be revoked, he could not change the

hearts and minds of millions of Americans who still showed signs of the

same prejudice that had followed the Jews from country to country for

hundreds of years. However, General Order 11 showed warning signs

of the emergence of an anti-Semitic society in the United States. For

the most part, the anti-Semitism and hatred toward the Jews at the

time of the Civil War takes a backseat to the disagreements over

slavery, but General Order 11 showed the American public that it was

very present and in full force as well. The backlash from General Order

11 gave Jewish spokesmen Isaac Mayer Wise and Isaac Leeser center

stage to address the state of the Jews in America in which they stated

that the order showed the United States to be as anti-Jewish as the

Old World proving that Jewish homelessness is indeed a

transatlantic condition.13

12Grossman, Grants Anti-Semitism, 18.

13Grossman, Grants anti-Semitism, 18.
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In a society where suspicion and assumptions of the Jewish

people were basically universal, President Abraham Lincoln proved to

be able to overcome the ancient precedents set against the Jews.

During Lincolns too brief life he was able to befriend Jews, appoint

Jews to political offices, openly oppose anti-Semitism and fight for

Jewish rights and equality. Although growing up without having met

any Jews, Abraham Lincoln was able to avoid falling into the common

opinion of hatred and make Jewish acquaintances in Kentucky and

Illinois later in his life. However, his most impactful Jewish relationship

was with another lawyer, Abraham Jonas. Jonas practiced law in the

Congregation Bnai Abraham in Quincy Illinois and befriended Abraham

Lincoln quickly due to their mutual admiration of Henry Clay, as well as

their active involvement in the anti-slavery newly founded Republican

party. After being elected president, Lincoln appointed Jonas to be a

postmaster in Quincy and later stated that Jonas was one of my most

valued friends. During the Civil War, the number of Jews appointed by

Lincoln was, at the time, unprecedented. In addition to Abraham Jonas,

Lincoln advocated for Moise Levy, an orthodox Jew and son of a well-

known rabbi who was seeking to become a quartermaster in 1862. In

his approbation address to the secretary of war operations, Edward M.

Stanton, Lincoln pronounced that Levy is a capable and faithful man.

Lincoln also used the fact that Levy was Jewish to help Rices case

saying, We have not yet appointed a Hebrew. During the Civil War
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fifty other Jews served as quartermaster. Lincoln also promoted Jewish

Union army officers despite that, In the military, anti-Semitism was

casual yet virulent and omnipresent. Union generals, such as Ulysses

S. Grant, were no different. Lincolns advocacy for the Jewish people to

fill important military and political positions gave the Jews an

opportunity to step into the national spotlight and gain back

confidence that had been pushed aside by years of hatred.

Lincolns political position against slavery along with his

passionate support of American freedom helped the growing Jewish

population feel comfortable under his lead. During his presidency,

Jewish immigrants were not only settling on American soil, but they

began raising children and building some synagogues in America as

well. Jews throughout their history and in American life as well had to

deal with numerous obstacles and hardships, however they felt a

newfound comfort knowing that their president, stood for not erecting

barriers, but rather extending his hands and welcoming the Jews. For

Lincoln, his repeal of General Order 11 carried on George Washingtons

idea that this nation was created so that every one shall sit in safety

under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be non-to make him

afraid. Lincoln saved the nation from fading away from these ideals of

acceptance and eventually helped push the nation to strive to unite.

General Oder 11 made Lincolns inclination to acceptance public for

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the first time and showed the presidents true character and kindness

toward others, which ultimately culminated in the Emancipation

Proclamation. When Lincoln died, his impact on the Jewish community

was apparent as Jews from across the country went to synagogue to

mourn his loss and people reportedly rose to recite the Kaddish, the

mourning prayer, often. Rabbi Benjamin Szold famously said We

should regard Abraham Lincoln as a son of Israel. When Lincoln died

on April 15th, 1865, the United States of American had not only lost one

of its most influential presidents, but the Jewish people recognized that

they had also lost an extraordinary man and one of their great friends.

Lincolns emphasis on equality and strong beliefs about freedom

extend much further than the African Americans and slavery alone.

Lincoln, unlike many other people at the time, recognized that many

different groups, not only the African Americans were subject to

prejudice, less rights and hatred. In 1855, when he was responding to

rejections on immigration he made this belief very clear saying, I have

some little notoriety for commiserating with the oppressed condition of

the negro; and I should be strangely inconsistent if I could favor

curtailing the existing rights of white men, even though born in

different lands, and speaking different languages from myself. Lincoln

makes a specific point to stand up for foreigners and different religions

long before he famously stood up against slavery. Lincolns ability to

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strive for tolerance and inclusivity was no different for the Jews and

helped pioneer a change of heart about the Jews throughout the

country.

When General Ulysses S. Grant expelled the Jews from his

territory in Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois and Missouri on December

17th, 1868, this was a horrible act of hatred against a frequently

persecuted minority group. However, Lincolns ability to stand up for

the Jews quickly turned General Order 11 into a blessing in disguise

that marked a major turning point in American Jewish history and

ultimately led to the Jews empowerment and religious freedom.

Lincolns advocacy for the Jewish people was more than just a national

stand or a stand against Grant and it ultimately gave the Jews a second

homeland in America. Additionally, Lincolns stand allowed for other

political leaders, including Grant, to be more Lenient and open-minded

towards the Jewish people. With Grants complete change of opinion

about the Jews, the American Jews went from questioning their future

in America to breathing a sigh of relief knowing that the Jewish history

of being expelled will not repeat itself anymore. In an ultimate story of

atonement, Ulysses S. Grant, with the help of Lincoln, went from hatred

of the Jews to their friend and partner in Washington D.C; from the

cold-hearted general who attempted to take away their liberty and

trample over Jewish equality to the president that made protecting the
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rights of the Jewish people a priority. Although it is unclear if Grants

change in opinion about the Jews was truly out of regret or whether it

was simply a politically motivated act, Grants actions toward the Jews

were motivated by Lincoln and paved the way to the equality, respect

and success they receive today proving that hatred can be

overcome.
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Bibliography

Secondary Sources (SS)

Books (12)

Brecher, Frank W. Reluctant ally: United States foreign policy toward

the Jews from Wilson to Roosevelt. New York: Greenwood Press, 1991.
- Gave information on how Grant was the first American President to
stand up for the Jewish people in a foreign nation

Dalin, David G., and Alfred J. Kolatch. The Presidents of the United
States & the Jews. Middle Village, NY: Jonathan David Publishers, 2000.
- Compares Grants relationship with the Jews to that of other
presidents, most notably Abraham Lincoln.

Karp, Abraham J. From the Ends of the Earth: Judaic Treasures of the
Library Congress. Washington D.C.: Library of Congress, 1991.
- Goes into depth about all of the things Grant did in office to ensure
the Jewish people of America equality.

Korn, Bertram Wallace. American Jewry and the Civil War. Philadelphia:
Jewish Publication Society of America, 1951.
- Focuses on the Jewish people during the Civil War and their status
prior to General Order 11.

Meckler, Mel. Lincoln's other Emancipation: Repeal of General Grant's

1862 General Order. San Bernardino, CA.: Columbia UP, 2014.
- Emphasizes the significance of Lincolns decision to repeal the order
and how it demonstrates the just how fair a president Abraham Lincoln
was.

Miller, Irwin J. Jews in the Civil War: JWV meeting. Stamford, CT: JHSLFC,
2013.
- Mainly speaks about Jews who fought in the Civil War.

Rosen, Robert N. The Jewish Confederates. Columbia, SC: University of

South Carolina, 2000.
- Gives interesting information on Jews that were expelled from their
territory while serving for the Confederates in the war.

Rosenberg, Shelley Kapnek. Challenge and Change: History of the Jews

in America, Civil War through the Rise of Zionism. Springfield, NJ:
Behrman House, 2005.
 14

- Provides a nice background information about Jews before the Civil

War in America.

Sarna, Jonathan D. When General Grant Expelled the Jews. New York,
NY: Penguin Random House LLC, 2012.
- Is a very in-depth analysis of not only the order itself, but its effects
on the Jewish people throughout America.

Sarna, Jonathan D. Jews and the Civil War. Edited by Adam

Mendelsohn. New York, NY: New York University Press, 2011.
- States good evidence on how the Jews ultimately benefited from
General Order 11.

Simpson, Brooks D. Ulysses S. Grant: triumph over adversity, 1822-

1865. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 2000.
- Highlights Grants dramatic change from anti-semitism and hatred of
the Jews to being their ultimate ally.

Young, Mel. Where They Lie: The Story of the Jewish Soldiers of the
North and South Whose Deaths--killed, Mortally Wounded, or Died of
Disease or Other Causes--occurred during the Civil War, 1861-1865.
Lanham: University of America, 1991.
- Touches on the difference of Jewish soldiers on the Union side and on
the Confederate side.

Articles (12)

Ash, Stephen V. "Civil War Exodus: The Jews and Grant's General Order
No.11." Edited by Jonathan D. Sarna and Adam Mendelsohn. Historian
44 (1982): 505-23.
- Compares Grants order to the numerous Exiles the Jewish people
have experienced in the past.

Grossman, Lawrence. Grants Anti-Semitism And Tolerance.

Forward 11 (2012): 15-18.
- Demonstrates how Grant made a major change from anti-semitism to
tolerance.

Isaacs, Joakim. "Candidate Grant and the Jews." Jews and the Civil War
(2010): 399-410.
- Speaks about how General Order 11 brought the Jews into the center
of Grants election in 1868.

Jacoby, Jeff. Ulysses S. Grants greatest regret: His anti-Semitic Order

Haunted and Drove him. The Boston Globe 12 (2012): 28-30.
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- Talks about how Grant could never forget his Order and regretted it
for the rest of his life.

Korn, Bertram W. Lincoln and the Jews. Journal of the Illinois State
Historical Society 48, no. 2 (1955): 181190.
- Mentions Lincolns relationship with the Jews before and after the
order.

Maslin, Janet. The Exodus From Paducah, 1862. The New York Times
(2012): 12-14.
- Shows how General order 11 initially resembled a repetition of Jewish
exiled, but turned into a blessing of equality.

Mink, Charles R. General Orders, No. 11: The Forced Evacuation of

Civilians During the Civil War. Military Affairs 34, no. 4 (1970): 132
137.
- Goes into detail about the specific struggles of the Jews that were
forced to leave their home due to the order.

Rosenberg, Stuart E. and Rufus Learsi. "The Jews in America: Civil War
Through the Rise of Zionism." The American Historical Review 60, no. 3
(1955): 626.
-Brings forth the idea that Jews accepted America as their second
home while still viewing Israel as their homeland.

Sarna, Jonathon D. Gen. Grants Uncivil War Against the Jews: The
surprising tale of how he turned into Americas Haman. The New York
Jewish Week (2012): 3-9.
- Portrays Grant as the forgotten enemy of the Jews during the Civil
War.

Sarna, Jonathan D. "When General Grant Expelled the Jews." Shofar: An

Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies 31, no. 4 (2013): 110-13.
- Was great for information on the reaction from the Jewish people and
other Americas in response to the order.

Schloff, Linda Mack. "A Portion of the People: Three Hundred Years of
Southern Jewish Life. American Jewish History 90, no. 3 (2002): 38-42.
- Good background information on the Jewish community dating back
to the foundation of America.

Simon, John. "That Obnoxious Order." Jews and the Civil War (2010):
353-62.
- Takes about how both Grant and his wife looked back pitifully on his
Order hoping it wouldnt destroy his legacy as a hero.
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Wortman, Marc. What Happened When General Grant Expelled Civil

War Jews. The Daily Beast (2012): 1-5.
- Questions why the story of General Order 11 is so unknown by many
historians to this day.

Book Reviews (6)

Berman, Aaron. Review of Reluctant Ally: United States Foreign Policy

toward the Jews from Wilson to Roosevelt, by Frank W. Brecher. The
Journal of American History 79, no. 2 (1992): 705-706.

Fellman, Michael. Review of Ulysses S. Grant: Triumph over Adversity:

1822-1865 by Brooks D. Simpson. The American Historical Review 106,
no. 1 (2001): 174-175.

May, Robert E. Review of The Jewish Confederates, by Robert Rosen.

Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies 20, no. 3 (2002):
160-162.

Miller, Benjamin L. Review of Jews and the Civil War, by Jonathan D.

Sarna and Adam Mendelsohn. The Journal of Southern Religion 13
(2011): 435-436.

Stamp, Kenneth M. Review of American Jewry and the Civil War, by

Bertram Wallace Korn. The Journal of Southern History 18, no. 1 (1952):
91-93.

Waxman, Maron L. Review of When General Grant Expelled the Jews,

by Jonathan D. Sarna. Jewish Book Council (2013).

Primary Sources (6)

"Plea from deported Jewish citizens." Cesar Kaskel to President

Abraham Lincoln. December 29, 1862. Paducah, KY.
- Letter by a group of Jews affected by the Order asking Abraham
Lincoln for his help.

"General Orders No.11." Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to HDQRS. 13th

A.C, DEPT. OF THE TENN. December 17, 1862. Holly Springs, NC.
- The original Order written by Grant

Unknown. "How General Grant's Order Did Work Before It Was

Revoked." The Jewish Record (New York), January 13, 1863.
- A newspaper article on the Order.
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United Order Bne B'rith Missouri Loge [sic] to President Abraham

Lincoln. January 5, 1863. St. Louis.
- A famous group of Jews that originally notified Lincoln on the Order.

Mysers S. Isaac (Secretary). Notes from an Executive Committee

meeting by the Board of Delegates of American Israelites. New York,
NY: January 8, 1863.
.- A board meeting between a group of Jews discussing the Order and
what to do about it.

George Washington to The Jews of Newport. August 17, 1790. Newport,

RI.
- Washingtons promise to the Jews that America would be free of
bigotry.

Grant, Ulysses S. The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant. Volume 1:1837-1861

- Grants works at the end of his life describing his life journey.

Abraham Lincoln to General H.W. Halleck. January 4, 1863. Washington

D.C..
- Lincolns official letter the Halleck and Grant asking that the
Order immediately be revoked.