Jews in the Pre-Civil War Period
1800-the Civil War
Picking up from the last class, this lecture explores Jewish history during the period between 1800 and the American Civil War. Explore the second wave of Jewish immigration, mainly from Central Europe to America, when Jewish immigrants, who started from nothing, learned to flourish in this new, expanding country. The class concludes by exploring Jews and slavery, and correcting antisemitic myths about Jewish involvement in the slave trade.
- Learn why Jews fled Central Europe to seek freedom and new opportunities across the Atlantic.
- Explore how these new immigrants started as traveling peddlers, adapting quickly to build success in an expanding America.
- Meet inspiring figures like Rebecca Gratz and others who helped create Jewish life during a time when maintaining Jewish traditions and communities was challenging.
- Examine the nuanced reality of Jewish participation in the slave trade, from Southern slave owners to passionate abolitionists, while debunking modern antisemitic myths.