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The U.S. has overwhelmingly benefited from its openness to Judaism as expressed in President Washington's famous Newport, Rhode Island correspondence. The U.S. became a commercial dynamo whereas the Old World fought internally over feudal niceties such as caste and guild, and externally over the ownership of Alsace/Lorraine. George Washington famously wrote, in 1790 (link, public domain):
Quote:
Originally Posted by George Washington
The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.
Alexander Hamilton's apparently Jewish upbringing may have played a role. The Jews were not subject to stultifying church restrictions on their commerce, and until and unless persecuted out of an area, thrived. At the time, Alexander Hamilton was the Treasury Secretary. In large part Hamilton set up the free enterprise system we now have. "In The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton, published by Princeton University Press, Dr. Andrew Porwancher looks at Hamilton’s origins and determines that he was in all likelihood born and raised Jewish." In 1653 a boat carrying Portuguese Jewish refugees from Recife, Brazil was held at anchor off of New York City. Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch governor of New Amsterdam was reluctant to admit them, The Dutch East India Company, his employer, felt otherwise.
Other Jewish entries to the modern U.S. were in varying degrees open or surreptitious. Besides other issues raised in this OP, was Alexander Hamilton Jewish (link)?
Can you summarize Dr. Porwancher's thesis for Andrew Hamilton being Jewish?
As near as I can tell, in 1745 Alexander Hamilton's mother, Rachel Faucette had been at 16 pushed by her recently widowed mother into a marriage with 28 year old John Lavien. Rachael and John Lavien had one son, Peter in 1746, and Rachel left her unhappy marriage in 1750, fleeing Danish St. Croix for the British West Indies, where she met Alexander Hamilton's future father, James Hamilton. James Hamilton and Rachel Faucette Lavien had two sons together, one of whom was Alexander.
In 1759, John Lavien later sued his wife Rachel for divorce in Danish St. Croix, rendering her unable to legally marry again. James Hamilton left Rachel and her two sons in 1765, possibly so that Rachel could not be charged with bigamy.
When Rachel died in 1768, John Lavien saw to it that her two children James Jr. and Alexander did not inherit Rachael's small amount of wealth she had received from her father; the inheritance went entirely to Peter Lavien, her one legitimate son.
First point I'd like to make is that Alexander was descended from Scottish, English, and French stock. Even if John Lavien was Jewish, as some would claim due to his name being similar to Levin or Levine, he wasn't Alexander's father.
Second point is that I find it difficult to believe that Rachel Faucette Lavien would have raised her two younger children in the Jewish faith because her first husband was Jewish. Rachel was pressured into an unhappy marriage that only lasted five years. I don't see her raising her children by James Hamilton in the religious faith supposedly ascribed to John Lavien, the husband she had fled.
Third point is that Peter Lavien, the one legitimate son of Rachel and John Lavien who inherited Rachel's small estate, never practiced Judaism himself. I find it rather unbelievable the son of John Lavien wasn't raised Jewish, but the sons of James Alexander were raised Jewish.
Can you summarize Dr. Porwancher's thesis for Andrew Hamilton being Jewish?
I am trying to get hold of the book. More likely is he traveled in Jewish circles and found much in their deregulated system to recommend for the infant country. I am hoping the book convinces me but I share your doubts.
Don't worry. You got it right in the rest of the post. E-dictation has its risks, and I plead guilty and frequently. My son sent me a message yesterday "(t)alk to text makes this much funnier."
Can you summarize Dr. Porwancher's thesis for Andrew Hamilton being Jewish?
As near as I can tell, in 1745 Alexander Hamilton's mother, Rachel Faucette had been at 16 pushed by her recently widowed mother into a marriage with 28 year old John Lavien. Rachael and John Lavien had one son, Peter in 1746, and Rachel left her unhappy marriage in 1750, fleeing Danish St. Croix for the British West Indies, where she met Alexander Hamilton's future father, James Hamilton. James Hamilton and Rachel Faucette Lavien had two sons together, one of whom was Alexander.
In 1759, John Lavien later sued his wife Rachel for divorce in Danish St. Croix, rendering her unable to legally marry again. James Hamilton left Rachel and her two sons in 1765, possibly so that Rachel could not be charged with bigamy.
When Rachel died in 1768, John Lavien saw to it that her two children James Jr. and Alexander did not inherit Rachael's small amount of wealth she had received from her father; the inheritance went entirely to Peter Lavien, her one legitimate son.
First point I'd like to make is that Alexander was descended from Scottish, English, and French stock. Even if John Lavien was Jewish, as some would claim due to his name being similar to Levin or Levine, he wasn't Alexander's father.
Second point is that I find it difficult to believe that Rachel Faucette Lavien would have raised her two younger children in the Jewish faith because her first husband was Jewish. Rachel was pressured into an unhappy marriage that only lasted five years. I don't see her raising her children by James Hamilton in the religious faith supposedly ascribed to John Lavien, the husband she had fled.
Third point is that Peter Lavien, the one legitimate son of Rachel and John Lavien who inherited Rachel's small estate, never practiced Judaism himself. I find it rather unbelievable the son of John Lavien wasn't raised Jewish, but the sons of James Alexander were raised Jewish.
According to the bio of Hamilton by Ron Chernow, Hamilton had a Jewish woman as tutor growing up, and the island (Nevis or St. Croix, can't remember which) was about 25% Jewish. This left Alexander as a lifelong Judeophile.
Chernow does not seem to believe that Hamilton was Jewish, and he did exhaustive research on such matters. There also were rumors that his mother Rachel may have been part black, which Chernow researched and concluded was not true.
John Adams and George Washington were also Judeophiles, or at least Jewish-friendly.
OP, do you have any opinion on the theory that Columbus was of Jewish lineage, and wanted to find a Jewish haven? Whether he intended that or not, it's fair to say that it was the result.
Jews were expelled from Spain in March 1492. The voyage of Columbus was around Sept. 1492.
The U.S. has overwhelmingly benefited from its openness to Judaism as expressed in President Washington's famous Newport, Rhode Island correspondence. The U.S. became a commercial dynamo whereas the Old World fought internally over feudal niceties such as caste and guild, and externally over the ownership of Alsace/Lorraine. George Washington famously wrote, in 1790 (link, public domain):
Alexander Hamilton's apparently Jewish upbringing may have played a role. The Jews were not subject to stultifying church restrictions on their commerce, and until and unless persecuted out of an area, thrived. At the time, Alexander Hamilton was the Treasury Secretary. In large part Hamilton set up the free enterprise system we now have. "In The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton, published by Princeton University Press, Dr. Andrew Porwancher looks at Hamilton’s origins and determines that he was in all likelihood born and raised Jewish." In 1653 a boat carrying Portuguese Jewish refugees from Recife, Brazil was held at anchor off of New York City. Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch governor of New Amsterdam was reluctant to admit them, The Dutch East India Company, his employer, felt otherwise.
Other Jewish entries to the modern U.S. were in varying degrees open or surreptitious. Besides other issues raised in this OP, was Alexander Hamilton Jewish (link)?
Can you quote from GW's speech, in which he praises or gives credit to judaism for something anything?
The quote you do present does not indicate such.
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