11/05/2022
That’s right, for about a month in late 1862, in the midst of the Civil War, Jews were expelled from an area called the “Department of the Tennessee,” which included parts of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky.
Union General and future American president, Ulysses S. Grant, specifically targeted the Jewish community for expulsion with his infamous General Orders No. 11, which stated:
"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."
Jews had 24 hours to leave, and were threatened with arrest and confinement for failure to comply.
What happened?
As is usually the case, it came down to economics. Despite the war, northern industrialists still needed southern cotton, and that led to the development of an enormous black market. Some black marketeers were Jewish, although most were not, but—at least according to Grant—overwhelmed by the emotions of war, and frustrated by his inability to stop illegal trading, he blamed the Jewish population en masse, and evicted them from the areas under his control.
The Order was rescinded in early 1863, after Grant’s subordinates messed with the wrong Jew. His name was Cesar Kaskel, whose family was one of about 30 Jewish families from Paducah, Kentucky. Kaskel was, understandably, outraged and made his way to Washington to complain to President Lincoln, who revoked the decree.
But, in the end, Grant made nice with the Jews. General Orders No. 11 dogged him throughout his 1868 presidential campaign—although he not only won, but also carried the Jewish vote—and he made amends throughout his time in office. He was the first sitting president to attend a synagogue service, and appointed more than 50 Jews to federal offices. He also appointed Edward S. Salomon as territorial governor of Washington, making him the first Jew to serve in that role.