David Levy Yulee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Levy Yulee
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| United States Senator from Florida |
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| In office March 4, 1855 – January 21, 1861 |
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| Preceded by | Jackson Morton |
| Succeeded by | Thomas W. Osborn (in 1868) |
| In office July 1, 1845 – March 3, 1851 |
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| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Mallory |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida Territory's at-large district |
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| In office March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1845 Delegate |
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| Preceded by | Charles Downing |
| Succeeded by | Edward Cabell (Representative) |
| Personal details | |
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David Levy
June 12, 1810 Charlotte Amalie, Danish West Indies (now U.S. Virgin Islands) |
| Died | October 10, 1886 (aged 76) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Oak Hill Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Nancy Wickliffe |
| Relatives | Charles A. Wickliffe (father-in-law) |
David Levy Yulee (born David Levy; June 12, 1810 – October 10, 1886) was an American politician and lawyer. He was born on the island of St. Thomas, which was then controlled by the British. His family had Sephardic Jewish roots. His father was from Morocco, and his mother was born in Sint Eustatius.
When David was a child, his family moved to Florida. He grew up there on their large lands. He later became Florida's representative in Congress while it was still a territory. Yulee was the first person of Jewish background to be elected as a United States Senator. He served from 1845 to 1851 and again from 1855 to 1861.
He started the Florida Railroad Company and led several other companies. This earned him the nickname "Father of Florida Railroads." In 2000, Florida recognized him as a "Great Floridian."
Levy added "Yulee" to his name after marrying Nancy Christian Wickliffe in 1846. Nancy was the daughter of former Kentucky Governor Charles A. Wickliffe. Even though Yulee became a Christian and raised his children in that faith, he still faced unfair treatment because of his Jewish heritage.
Yulee supported slavery and Florida leaving the United States. After the Civil War, he was held in Fort Pulaski for nine months. This was because he helped Confederate President Jefferson Davis escape. After being released, he went back to his railroad businesses in Florida.
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Early Life and Education
David Levy was born in Charlotte Amalie, on the island of St. Thomas. His father, Moses Elias Levy, was a Sephardic Jewish businessman from Morocco. He made a lot of money in the lumber business. David's mother, Hannah Abendanone, was also Sephardi. Her family had moved from Spain to the Netherlands and England, and some later came to the Caribbean.
In the early 1820s, David's family moved to the United States. His father bought 50,000 acres (200 km²) of land near present-day Jacksonville, in Florida Territory. He hoped to create a "New Jerusalem" for Jewish settlers there.
David went to a boys' academy and college in Norfolk, Virginia. He later studied law with Robert R. Reid in St. Augustine. He became a lawyer in 1832 and started his own law practice in St. Augustine.
Early Political Steps
When he was in his twenties, David Levy served in Florida's local army. He was part of the Second Seminole War. In 1834, he attended a meeting with Seminole chiefs, including Osceola.
In 1836, he was chosen to be part of the Florida Territory's Legislative Council. He served there from 1837 to 1839. He also helped write the territory's constitution in 1838. In 1841, he worked as the legislature's clerk.
Building Businesses in Florida
In 1851, Yulee started a 5,000-acre (20 km²) sugar cane farm. Enslaved African Americans built and worked on this farm. The remains of his farm, which was destroyed during the Civil War, are now a historic site.
While living in Fernandina, Yulee began to plan a railroad across Florida. He had thought about building a state-owned railroad system since 1837. He was the first person in the South to use state grants from the Florida Internal Improvement Act of 1855. This act was passed to help build important structures like railroads.
Yulee used these grants to get land and build railroad networks. These railroads were built by enslaved people and Irish immigrant workers. They worked through the Florida wilderness.
In 1853, Yulee started the Florida Railroad company. He planned for its ends to be at deep-water ports. One end was in Fernandina (Port of Fernandina) on Amelia Island on the Atlantic side. The other end was in Cedar Key on the Gulf of Mexico. This would allow goods to be shipped by sea. Construction began in 1855. On March 1, 1861, the first train arrived in Cedar Key, just weeks before the Civil War started.
Political Career
In 1841, David Levy (still using that name) was chosen as the delegate for the Florida Territory in the United States House of Representatives. He served for four years. There was a debate about whether he was a citizen, but he was eventually allowed to keep his seat. Once in the House, Levy worked to make Florida a state. He also supported expanding slavery into other new states.
In 1845, after Florida became a state, the state legislature elected Levy as a Democrat to the United States Senate. He was the first Jewish person in the United States to become a Senator. He served until 1851. During this time, he started using "Yulee" as his last name.
In 1855, Yulee was elected to the Senate again by the Florida legislature. He served until 1861. He resigned to support the Confederacy when the American Civil War began.
Yulee spoke strongly in favor of slavery in the Senate. This earned him the nickname "Florida Fire-Eater." Even though he often said he did not want Florida to leave the Union, he asked the War Department about weapons in Florida forts in 1860. He wrote to a friend that it was important to take control of the forts and arsenals in Florida.
Civil War Times
During the Civil War, Yulee did not hold any elected or appointed government jobs. After the war, Yulee was put in prison at Fort Pulaski for nine months. This was because he helped Jefferson Davis escape in 1865.
After the War
After being released from prison, Yulee went back to Florida. He rebuilt the Yulee Railroad, which had been damaged during the war. He was the president of the Florida Railroad Company from 1853 to 1866. He also led other railroad companies.
His work building railroads in Florida was his most important achievement. He was known as the "Father of Florida Railroads." His leadership helped Florida's economy grow, especially with tourism in the late 1800s. In 1870, Yulee welcomed President Ulysses S. Grant to Fernandina.
Family Life
In 1846, David Levy officially changed his name to David Levy Yulee. He added his father's Sephardic family name. That same year, he married Nancy Christian Wickliffe. She was the daughter of Charles A. Wickliffe, who had been the governor of Kentucky and the Postmaster General. His wife was Christian, and they raised their children in her faith.
Later Life and What He Left Behind
Yulee sold the Florida Railroad and retired with his wife to Washington, D.C. in 1880. He died six years later while visiting New York City. Yulee was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
- The town of Yulee, Florida and Levy County, Florida are both named after him.
- The town of Fernandina Beach, Florida, has a statue of Yulee.
- In 2000, the state of Florida named Levy Yulee a Great Floridian. Plaques honoring him were placed at the Fernandina Chamber of Commerce and the Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins State Historic Site.
- The World War II Liberty Ship SS David L. Yulee was named in his honor.
See Also
In Spanish: David Levy Yulee para niños
- List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
- List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
- List of United States senators born outside the United States
Images for kids
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Yulee's gravesite
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Memorial inscription
