General Order No. 11 (1862) facts for kids
General Order No. 11 was a very serious command given by Union General Ulysses S. Grant. He issued it on December 17, 1862, during the American Civil War. This happened while he was leading the Vicksburg Campaign.
The order told all Jewish people to leave the areas under Grant's control. These areas included parts of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky. Grant said he issued the order to stop corruption in the army. He also wanted to stop illegal trading of cotton from the South. Grant believed this trade was run "mostly by Jews and other unprincipled traders."
During the war, the government allowed some people to trade with the army. But this also led to a black market where people traded without permission. Army leaders in the South had to manage these trade permits. They also had to fight the war and control the illegal cotton trade.
At Holly Springs, Mississippi, which was a supply base for Grant's army, Jewish people were gathered. They were forced to leave the city on foot. However, on December 20, 1862, a Confederate attack on Holly Springs stopped many expulsions.
Even though there was a delay, Grant's order was fully carried out in Paducah, Kentucky. About thirty Jewish families were treated badly and forced out of the city. Jewish leaders protested this order. Members of Congress and newspapers also spoke out against it. President Abraham Lincoln quickly canceled the order on January 4, 1863.
Later, during his 1868 campaign to become president, Grant said he did not mean to harm Jewish people. He claimed he issued the order to deal with a problem that "certain Jews had caused." Most historians who have studied Grant have criticized this order.
Contents
What Happened After the War
Order Was Rejected
After the Civil War, General Order No. 11 became an issue. This happened during the 1868 United States presidential election. Grant was running for president as a Republican. The other party, the Democrats, brought up the order. A famous rabbi named Isaac Mayer Wise told Jewish people to vote against Grant. He said it was because Grant was supposedly against Jewish people.
Grant tried to distance himself from the order. He said, "I have no prejudice against sect or race." He added that he wanted "each individual to be judged by his own merit." He said the order was written by someone else. He claimed he signed it without reading it because he was so busy fighting the war.
In September 1868, Grant wrote a letter to Isaac N. Morris. He said:
I do not pretend to support the order. When it was published, I was angry. I had been scolded by Washington for allowing things that Jews in my lines were doing... The order was issued without thinking. I did not think of Jews as a group or race. I just thought of them as people who had broken an order... I have no prejudice against any group or race. I want each person to be judged by what they do.
This event did not cause much long-term harm to Grant's relationship with the American Jewish community. He won the presidential election. He even got most of the Jewish votes.
Making Up with the Jewish Community
Historian Jonathan Sarna wrote a book in 2012. It is called When General Grant Expelled the Jews. Sarna says that as president, Grant became a great friend to Jewish people in America. He appointed more Jewish people to government jobs than any president before him.
President Grant also spoke out against terrible acts against Jewish people in Europe. He made human rights an important part of American foreign policy.
In 1874, President Grant went to the opening of the Adas Israel Congregation in Washington. All his Cabinet members were with him. This was the first time an American President had ever attended a synagogue service. Many historians see this as part of his effort to make peace with the Jewish community.
It is believed that Grant appointed over fifty Jewish people to federal jobs. These included consuls, district attorneys, and deputy postmasters. Grant appointed Simon Wolf, a Jewish citizen, as recorder of deeds in Washington, D.C. He also appointed Edward S. Salomon, another Jewish citizen, as governor of Washington Territory. This was the first time an American Jew held a governor's position. Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise said, "Grant has taken back Grant's famous order No. 11."
Historians' Views on the Order
Historians have generally criticized General Order No. 11 and Grant's actions. Scholars have offered different ideas about Grant's controversial order. This happened at a time when the Civil War was changing.
In 1951, historian Bertram Korn said Grant's order was part of a pattern. He wrote, "This was not the first unfair order [Grant] had signed... he truly believed Jews were guilty. He wanted to get rid of them by any means."
In 1981, historian William S. McFeely said Grant was tired of cotton traders and greedy suppliers. But instead of attacking everyone, Grant singled out Jewish people. McFeely said, "The old idea of the greedy trader was used. Again, a frustrated man chose the old scapegoat."
McFeely also mentioned General James H. Wilson, who worked for Grant. Wilson said General Order No. 11 was linked to Grant's problems with his own father, Jesse Root Grant. Wilson recalled that Jesse Grant was "close and greedy." He came to Tennessee with a Jewish trader. Jesse wanted his son to help this trader, and they would share the profits. Grant refused to give a permit. He sent the Jewish trader away. He also stopped Jewish people from entering the area. Wilson felt that Grant could not deal with his "relatives who were always trying to use him." Perhaps he attacked those he saw as similar: Jewish traders who were looking for opportunities.
In 2001, historian Jean Edward Smith said December 1862 was a low point for Grant in the Civil War. He added, "Grant issued an order that would forever harm his reputation. This was one of the clearest examples of government-supported anti-Semitism in American history. Grant expelled all Jewish people from the Department of the Tennessee."
In 2012, historian H.W. Brands said Grant shared the common idea of stereotyping Jewish people at that time in America. Brands thought Grant might have decided that any harm to Jewish people as a group was a burden they had to bear. He believed Grant was willing to make this small group pay the price if it helped win the war. Grant demanded much more from his soldiers every day.
In 2016, historian Ronald C. White noted that non-Jewish people also traded illegally. But a military newspaper called Jews "sharks" who were taking advantage of soldiers. White said, "In the middle of this growing anti-Jewish feeling, Grant issued General Orders No. 11 on December 17, 1862."
In 2017, historian Ron Chernow said Grant must have felt hurt by the situation. He had complained about traders, only to find his own father involved with them. Chernow called Grant's famous order a "self-inflicted wound." He said it was issued in a moment of anger. Grant's chief of staff, Rawlins, had even warned him against it. Rawlins said the order was offensive. He also predicted Washington would cancel it.
In 2017, historian Charles W. Calhoun said the issue came from late 1862. Grant had issued an order expelling "Jews, as a class," from his command area in Mississippi. This was for breaking trade rules. Calhoun said the ill-advised order showed Grant's frustration. He was trying to control illegal trade behind the battle lines. Lincoln canceled it as soon as he learned about it.
In 2018, historian Paul Kahan said Grant was offended by the many people who made money from the war. So, Grant issued his famous General Order No. 11. The first point of the order stated: "The Jews, as a class breaking every trade rule... are hereby expelled from the Department [of the Tennessee] within twenty-four hours."
See also
In Spanish: Orden general n.º 11 para niños
