Read Online America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great by M. D. Ben Carson - Free Book Online
Authors: M. D. Ben Carson
Tags: Politics
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recognized the solid character of Haym.
At that time, Congress had no powers of direct taxation and was struggling to raise money to support the war. Congress requested money from the states, but these requests were mostly refused. So perilous was the status of the army that they often lived day-to-day. The only choice left to our government was to borrow funds.
Haym Salomon, who became a very successful currency broker, used his financial savvy to finance the Revolution. Salomon volunteered his own fortune of 600,000 pounds sterling to begin the American Revolution — which today would be several million dollars, an immense fortune. 4
When the British Parliament authorized covert financial tricks to undermine the colonists, such as counterfeiting colonial paper money and discrediting American envoys in Holland and France, they were hoping to causeWashington’s army to mutiny from lack of pay and necessities. But Salomon came through again with personal loans and brokered finance deals both in the New World and elsewhere around the world.
Salomon also proved his worth as a spy for George Washington as well as a finance man when he was captured by the British. When he noticed the British soldiers didn’t speak German, and the German mercenaries who had been hired by the Brits didn’t speak English, he informed the Brits of his knowledge of languages, without actually offering to translate. (He did not want to be seen as a Loyalist.) While interpreting, he then persuaded over five hundred Hessian soldiers from Germany to desert the British cause for the American side! Salomon also solicited every able-bodied Jewish man to fight in Washington’s army. After the war, he organized the first American veterans’ organization, “The Jewish War Veterans,” which is still active today.
Michael Feldberg writes, “Within five years of his arrival in Philadelphia, Salomon advanced from penniless fugitive to respected businessman, philanthropist, and defender of his people. He risked his fortune, pledged his good name and credit on behalf of the Revolution, and stood up for religious liberty. Despite financial setbacks at the end of his life, Salomon’s name is forever linked to the idealism and success of the American Revolution, and to the contributions Jews have made to the cause of American freedom.” 5
It is clear that significant Judeo-Christian influences were involved in the founding of our nation, although being a nation of all peoples, coming from different backgrounds and cultures, Christian, Jewish, and others, did not hinder us. Although it is difficult to verify, many believe that a star of David on the back of the one dollar bill is a tribute to Haym Salomon and the many Jewish Americans who fought for our initial freedom.
F AITH OF O UR F OUNDING F ATHERS
Freedom of religion is one of the basic tenets of the founding of our nation, and while we are primarily a Judeo-Christian nation, we are a nation of faith that encompasses many religions and beliefs. We as a nation welcome all nonviolent people of every faith, and there was never any intention by our founders of excluding religion from our public or private lives. They did not want us to embrace a theocracy, but neither did they want us to eschew religious principles.
Our National Day of Prayer, for example, is a significant part of our heritage. In 1775, during a meeting of the Continental Congress, all of thecolonies were asked to pray for wisdom as the policies to govern the nation were being formed. During the Civil War, President Lincoln proclaimed a day of “humiliation, fasting and prayer,” and in 1952, President Truman signed a joint resolution from the Congress officially creating a National Day of Prayer.
Undoubtedly, there are some in our country who are very uncomfortable with the highest levels of our government recognizing and encouraging prayer, but as Mrs. Shirley Dobson, who was chairman of the National Day of Prayer, put it, “We
At that time, Congress had no powers of direct taxation and was struggling to raise money to support the war. Congress requested money from the states, but these requests were mostly refused. So perilous was the status of the army that they often lived day-to-day. The only choice left to our government was to borrow funds.
Haym Salomon, who became a very successful currency broker, used his financial savvy to finance the Revolution. Salomon volunteered his own fortune of 600,000 pounds sterling to begin the American Revolution — which today would be several million dollars, an immense fortune. 4
When the British Parliament authorized covert financial tricks to undermine the colonists, such as counterfeiting colonial paper money and discrediting American envoys in Holland and France, they were hoping to causeWashington’s army to mutiny from lack of pay and necessities. But Salomon came through again with personal loans and brokered finance deals both in the New World and elsewhere around the world.
Salomon also proved his worth as a spy for George Washington as well as a finance man when he was captured by the British. When he noticed the British soldiers didn’t speak German, and the German mercenaries who had been hired by the Brits didn’t speak English, he informed the Brits of his knowledge of languages, without actually offering to translate. (He did not want to be seen as a Loyalist.) While interpreting, he then persuaded over five hundred Hessian soldiers from Germany to desert the British cause for the American side! Salomon also solicited every able-bodied Jewish man to fight in Washington’s army. After the war, he organized the first American veterans’ organization, “The Jewish War Veterans,” which is still active today.
Michael Feldberg writes, “Within five years of his arrival in Philadelphia, Salomon advanced from penniless fugitive to respected businessman, philanthropist, and defender of his people. He risked his fortune, pledged his good name and credit on behalf of the Revolution, and stood up for religious liberty. Despite financial setbacks at the end of his life, Salomon’s name is forever linked to the idealism and success of the American Revolution, and to the contributions Jews have made to the cause of American freedom.” 5
It is clear that significant Judeo-Christian influences were involved in the founding of our nation, although being a nation of all peoples, coming from different backgrounds and cultures, Christian, Jewish, and others, did not hinder us. Although it is difficult to verify, many believe that a star of David on the back of the one dollar bill is a tribute to Haym Salomon and the many Jewish Americans who fought for our initial freedom.
F AITH OF O UR F OUNDING F ATHERS
Freedom of religion is one of the basic tenets of the founding of our nation, and while we are primarily a Judeo-Christian nation, we are a nation of faith that encompasses many religions and beliefs. We as a nation welcome all nonviolent people of every faith, and there was never any intention by our founders of excluding religion from our public or private lives. They did not want us to embrace a theocracy, but neither did they want us to eschew religious principles.
Our National Day of Prayer, for example, is a significant part of our heritage. In 1775, during a meeting of the Continental Congress, all of thecolonies were asked to pray for wisdom as the policies to govern the nation were being formed. During the Civil War, President Lincoln proclaimed a day of “humiliation, fasting and prayer,” and in 1952, President Truman signed a joint resolution from the Congress officially creating a National Day of Prayer.
Undoubtedly, there are some in our country who are very uncomfortable with the highest levels of our government recognizing and encouraging prayer, but as Mrs. Shirley Dobson, who was chairman of the National Day of Prayer, put it, “We
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