Exhibit Image Detail
Ulysses Grant
June 9, 1876: The presence of President Ulysses S. Grant at the dedication of the new Adas Israel synagogue—and his $10 donation—held special meaning. As a Union Army general, Grant had issued Order No. 11 expelling Jews “as a class” from an area under his command, including parts of Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Blaming Jews for the black market sale of Southern cotton, Grant gave them 24 hours to leave. President Lincoln revoked the order. Although Grant never apologized, he privately referred to his action as “that obnoxious order.”
Courtesy of Library of Congress
