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When General Grant Expelled the Jews

3.64 of 5 stars 3.64 · rating details · 86 ratings · 28 reviews

***Finalist, 2012 National Jewish Book Awards, American-Jewish Studies***

Part of the Jewish Encounter series

A riveting account of General Ulysses S. Grant’s decision, in the middle of the Civil War, to order the expulsion of all Jews from the territory under his command, and the reverberations of that decision on Grant’s political career, on the nascent American Jewish com...more

Hardcover, 224 pages

Published March 13th 2012 by Schocken

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Jan 08, 2013 Deborah added it

Shelves: non-fiction, sb

I'm not sure how many stars to give this one...

I really enjoyed it, and learned a LOT about Grant and about Judaism in the U.S. during and after the Civil War (and Grant and Judaism...). It's a subject I don't think is well known or researched, so was very interesting from that perspective.

And then there was the very end. With citations from Wikipedia and some stretching of information (garnered from wikipedia--a group of international and political commentators--bloggers?--surveyed by the Londo...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Elaine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks

Whatever possessed me to buy over 200 pages about Grant's infamous anti-Jewish diatribe? What could possibly merit so many pages? Clearly it was a whim that prompted me to press "Confirm," thus plunking it on my Nook.

i had read Grant's autobiography, which is excellent, and, as a Civil War buff, knew a great deal about his soldiering. i held a high impression of the man, despite his defaming Jews as rapacious, greedy, moneygrubbers. After all, he was a Christian and that is what too many Christi...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

As an academic endeavor, Sarna's book does an excellent job recapping the elements of events fairly ill-known by most students of American history and a dismal job writing what could have been a compelling story.

In late December, 1862, in the midst of the Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant issues General Orders 11 stating. "The Jews, as a class violating every regulation of trade established by the Treasury Department and also department [the military district of Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississ...more As an academic endeavor, Sarna's book does an excellent job recapping the elements of events fairly ill-known by most students of American history and a dismal job writing what could have been a compelling story.

In late December, 1862, in the midst of the Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant issues General Orders 11 stating. "The Jews, as a class violating every regulation of trade established by the Treasury Department and also department [the military district of Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi] orders, are hereby expelled from the department within twenty-four hours from receipt of the order."

One might assume this treatment of "Jews as a class" rather than as individuals was the result of simple anti-Semitism, but it seems this more a conflagration of issues related to a military need to prevent smuggling, scape-goatism and xenophobia. Quick action by Jewish interests around the country got President Lincoln to reverse the orders in a matter of days, but Grant's role haunted him for the rest of his life.

If Sarna is to be believed, Grant spent the rest of his life trying to make up for this action (for which Grant apologized, profusely) by appointing more Jews to public office than any prior American president, working to promote human rights, particularly for Jews, worldwide, and for promoting an societal atmosphere in which Jews should be considered in every way equal. So, there's that.

The story is interesting, and vastly more complex than you'd gather if you only read Wikipedia. There's enough proof to believe Grant's support of the Jews wasn't mere political expediency, since he continued his support long after he left public office. And while his horrifying actions tainted the remainder of his certainly imperfect career, there's adequate proof that stemming smuggling (practiced widely by Jews and non-Jews alike, but Jews were more easily identified as such) was the real catalyst for his actions. It's also fascinating that at Grant's death, he was considered heroic to the Jews and to others for his support of peace and civil rights, and yet by the early and mid-20th century, he was decried as horrible, second only to Harding, as a rotten president.

The reader is likely to come to want to take sides, and Sarna, the Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University and the chief historian of the National Museum of American Jewish History seems to be squarely in Grant's camp, even as he purports to wear the cloak of academic dispassion.

The problem? Sarna's writing makes the story as boring as possible. I would normally finish a book of this length in a weekend, but it took almost two weeks, as I could barely stand to read more than three pages at a time, it was such a slog. Sarna seems to have gathered his facts, laid them chronologically or categorically, and then wrote connecting language. But oh, it's monotonous and tedious to read.

Grant is a cipher -- you get facts of his interactions with Jews...and nothing else. Julia Grant is mentioned thrice, twice in reference to the fact that she referred to General Orders 11 as obnoxious and that her husband regretted them, and once in telling that she went on a three-year post-presidential tour with Grant, but there's not a single fact of their relationship. Grant's son is mentioned, but only (and repeatedly) with regard to the fact that Grant didn't want to talk about General Orders 11 in his memoirs -- we don't even know what his son thought of his father's actions.

There's an occasional mention of his later reputation among others as a drunkard, but no anecdotes to support this. None of his policies, none of his personal failings or beliefs color this tale. Indeed, the only truly personal thing to know about him is Grant's rough relationship with his father, and that's covered in three sentences. Rather, Sarna seems to want to dip into the personalities of the American Jews (advisors, supporters and enemies, as well as weird satellites circling his other actions) with vignettes that make them, too, little more than caricatures.

Sarna's work fits the stereotype of academic writing. The prose is dry, sonorous and stilted. The same story told by David McCullough would have come alive on the page and been optioned for an HBO movie. (less)

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Jul 15, 2012 Bob rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: political, us-history

When General Grant Expelled the Jews is a very well written history of a time long forgotten by most Americans, probably the world. Grant has long been seen as a drunkard and among the worst Presidents of the United States. But, Jonathan Sarna brings us back to Grant's time to shed light on this much misunderstood man.

After the near impeachment of Andrew Johnson, the man who became President after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Grant received the Republican nomination and ultimately won t...more When General Grant Expelled the Jews is a very well written history of a time long forgotten by most Americans, probably the world. Grant has long been seen as a drunkard and among the worst Presidents of the United States. But, Jonathan Sarna brings us back to Grant's time to shed light on this much misunderstood man.

After the near impeachment of Andrew Johnson, the man who became President after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Grant received the Republican nomination and ultimately won two terms as President.

The book begins by telling the story of General Order #11. This order, paraphrased said that all Jews, as a class, were required to leave the war zone under General Grant, comprising the area from Mississippi to Cairo, Illinois. The story behind the order was several people were caught smuggling goods across enemy lines. Stereotypically and historically, Jews were seen as unscrupulous business people who would necessarily be behind this. Because of this, Grant lumped all Jews together as a "class of people" and evicted them all for the sins of a few. There were a multitude of problems with this order, most notably (1) like all peoples, all Jews are different. (2) By classifying them together and giving them the blame, it brings our racism and unwarranted hatred. (3) The order was issued on the eve of the Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln's Presidential Executive Order to free the slaves.

Suffice it to say that the order was rescinded, but damage was done to the standing of Jews in the United States, and to their views of General Grant. If the story were to stop there, as it had for a hundred years, Grant's characterization as a drunkard and a poor President would have been well deserved. As it turns out, much of his personal beliefs and policies had been forgotten over the years.

After the order was rescinded, Grant's behavior changed dramatically. Apparently seeing the error of his ways, he spent much of the rest of his career trying to break down racial stereotypes and racism, and to help integrate various minorities into the general population.

The times were difficult, after the Civil War, former slaves were under attack by Jim Crowe laws. Catholics and Irish were not welcomed into society. Grant spent the latter half of his career righting his wrong and promoting better relations, and involvement of these groups at all levels. Indeed, Grant appointed the first African-American government officials, and Jewish officials. He became very involved in promoting race relations, and stood hard by Thomas Jefferson's insistence in the clear separation of church and state.

There is a quote from President Grant that should be read by all US Government officials. "We are going to lay our cornerstone with the sublime motto, "Eternal Separation of State and Church!" For this reason we shall never favor or ask any support for our various benevolent institutions by the State; and if offered, we should not only refuse, but reject it with scorn and indignation, for those measures are the first sophistical, well-premeditated steps for the future union of Church and State. Sectarian institutions must be supported by their sectarian followers; the public purse and treasury dare not be filled, taxed and emptied for sectarian purposes.

In the United States today, there is battle between the religious right and those who value this separation. High officials in the government, under the guise of Conservatism, put aside our current economic concerns, the decline of the quality of healthcare and public education, and advocate for social issues above all stemming from (in most cases) "Christian Values." This puts our Constitution in danger, and pits groups against each other.

We can learn from the wisdom of Ulysses S Grant in how he viewed this, and led the Country during his time. Although the gains be made quickly regressed after his death, and history forgot his policies, it is my hope that more people read this book, understand his wisdom, and learn from his leadership in how he enacted public and governmental policies.

I comment Dr. Sarna for this outstanding accounting of history forgotten.(less)

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Dec 31, 2012 William Kerrigan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: civil-war-era

Grant's reputation as a military leader and as a President have rarely been in sync. In regards to his assessment as a military leader, many have regarded him as a genius, but some scholars have also condemned him as a "butcher" for an alleged disregard for the lives of the men who fought under him. Until recently, assessments of his Presidency have yielded less disagreement: Grant appeared near the bottom of most Presidential rankings lists. But Grant's presidential record is now finding some c...more Grant's reputation as a military leader and as a President have rarely been in sync. In regards to his assessment as a military leader, many have regarded him as a genius, but some scholars have also condemned him as a "butcher" for an alleged disregard for the lives of the men who fought under him. Until recently, assessments of his Presidency have yielded less disagreement: Grant appeared near the bottom of most Presidential rankings lists. But Grant's presidential record is now finding some champions, or at least a group of scholars who are recognizing that the exceedingly harsh judgments his presidency received were the result of his treatment at the hands of late 19th and early 20th century historians, some of them who romanticized the "lost cause" of the Confederacy, and nearly all of them white men who had little sympathy for Grant's efforts to protect the rights of the South's freedmen during Reconstruction. Grant's recent defenders acknowledge that his administration was rife with corruption, and that he seemed unwilling to ever abandon a corrupt "friend" even when prudence and dedication to good government dictated. But they also point out that few Presidents entered office facing challenges as great as those faced by Grant, and are eager to remind their readers that Grant appeared more determined to defend the principles of equality that became central to the northern war effort in the last two years of the Civil War long after other northern politicians were ready to abandon them.

The title of Jonathan Sarna's excellent book refers to one of the most shameful moments in Grant's career as a general--when in a misguided attempt to gain control over smuggling in the war zone, he issued a military order expelling "Jews as a class" from the western theater of war. Grant's order was only partially implemented before Lincoln learned of it and reversed it. With a title such as this one, I was expecting to have my respect for Grant significantly downgraded by the time I finished the book. Surprisingly, the reverse was the case. This is largely because while Sarna devotes the first few chapters to exploring Grant's order and its impact, the bulk of the book is about what happened afterward.

Sarna makes a convincing case that General Grant's order was a watershed moment in American Jewish history, prompting a degree of political activism and engagement among American Jewish leaders not seen before. And Grant as President proves to be a great ally. It is clear that Grant deeply regretted his wartime decision, and goes to great lengths to make amends with the American Jewish community. Not only does he appoint more Jews to office than any President before him, but he responds to American Jewish concerns, injecting human rights into his foreign policy in response to the persecution of Jews in Russia and Romania, and becoming the strongest advocate since Jefferson of a high wall between church and state at a time when some Protestants are pressing for a "the United States is a Christian Nation" amendment. What I found most interesting was that by the time he ran for re-election in 1872, Grant had won over not only most northern Jews, but also many prominent southern Jews, just seven years after the end of the Civil War.

It is a very well written and persuasive book. I highly recommend it.(less)

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May 25, 2012 Margaret Sankey rated it 4 of 5 stars

In December 1862, fed up with cotton trading and contraband (including his own father's involvement in a scheme), Grant issued a reactionary order expelling Jews, as a group (yes, literally, "General Store Germans"), from the Department of the Tennessee. Quickly, Lincoln halted the order and was mortified, but the weeks in which is was carried out were burned into the memories of Jewish Americans, many of whom had experienced pogroms in Europe. Running for President and holding the office, Grant...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Zohar - ManOfLaBook.com rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

When General Grant Expelled the Jews by Jonathan D. Sarna is a non-fiction book about Grant’s infamous “General Order No. 11”. Yes, this a non-fiction book – who would have thought?On 17 December, 1862 Major-General Ulysses S. Grant issued his infamous General Order No. 11 expelling all Jews from his military district which consisted of Kentucky,Mississippi, and Tennessee. Grant intended to hinder the activities of people who smuggle things in and out of the war zone which, in his mind, were Jew...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Tina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Made lots of essential connections and led to a reinvestigation to a wrongly maligned president. extremely interesting to see how a sensitive leader righted his wrongs and overcame his prejudice. it has been southern historians who have kept up the mythology of grant as a useless, drunken anti-semite when nothing could be further from the truth according to this well-researched book. sometimes saran overstates the obvious, but my respect for grant has expanded to the point of thinking he just mi...more

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May 07, 2012 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this non-fiction account of how General Grant expelled the Jews from the territory under his command in the middle of the Civil War to be very interesting. I'm a little amazed at the reviewers who felt that this was dull because I think that the author wrote very well, used interesting language and pieced together a lot of research in a very readable manner. It's a very compelling story of how Ulysses S. Grant issued "General Orders No. 11" and then had to live with the aftermath of such...more

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May 27, 2013 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history-jewish, history-north-american

Short, concise narrative that focuses more on how the consequences of General Orders #11 came back to haunt Grant when he ran for president than on the order itself. Sarna paints Grant as someone who deeply regretted his actions, even if it was too late to undo the order, spent much of his later life trying to do all he could for Jewish causes.

The book isn't extremely thorough -- it's not even 200 pages -- but it has piqued my interest; Grant is usually only mentioned as a good general, but horr...more

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Jun 02, 2013 Dan rated it 3 of 5 stars

The worst part of this book is its tendentious telling of the history of the Blaine Amendment. That's really kind of a reprehensible white-wash of what is, legitimately, another black mark on Grant's record that invites a whole other book on how he made right a bad decision at the expense of a minority religious group.

Other then that, i've got nothing bad to say about this work and it has some interesting tidbits. Most of the good stuff here comes toward the end. I got a huge kick out of the de...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Wanda rated it 1 of 5 stars

While the information in this book was interesting, the prose was deadly dull and I had to keep putting it down and then picking it up trying to re-engage. There are esteemed historians who can present their material in a compelling way that keeps one on the edge of one's chair. Robert Massie and Tim Snyder both come to mind. Sarna is nowhere near that league. I struggled to finish this short little history and Jewish issues are a particular interest of mine.

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Jul 07, 2012 Charles Levenstein rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was looking for the story of the 30 Jewish families that lived in Paducah who were uprooted by Grant's order. I thinnk Lincoln's reversal permitted them to return -- but Sarna devotes no time at all to that story. he is interested in the political implications for Grant and for the larger Jewish community in the US -- but does not follow through on the people who were most directly effected. I think I will not continue reading.

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Dec 15, 2012 Riv rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-finish

I really wanted to get through this book, to be able to teach my kids something they don't know about the Civil War era from reading Ann Rinaldi and Magic Tree House, maybe to show my high school history teacher I'm not a complete ditz who couldn't get through 11th grade history? In any case, no success, I couldn't finish it.

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Aug 11, 2012 Jason Walker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Bad things can cause people to make bad decisions. It's happened to me. Grant was predisposed to make bad decisions. He was noted by many of his contemporaries as being decisive. This book is about a bad week in Grant's life, how Lincoln bailed him out, and the impact it had on the country.

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May 27, 2012 Ellen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Beautify written. A period of time in the history of the United States that we don't focus on. My family came over from Germany during this time, this helped me understand the climate at the time and what it must have been like living in this golden age for Jews.

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Jul 03, 2012 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting book about Grant's Order of 1862 expelling the Jews "as a class" from Grant's area of war. After the Order was rescinded by Lincoln Grant was vilified but later became a very good friend to Jews and Jewish causes while President.

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Mar 17, 2013 Robin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history-or-archaeology, jewish, politics

Not a scintillating read. Still, this book's topic is pretty interesting. It starts with a (to me) previously unknown piece of history -- General Grant expelled all the Jews from a territory under his control during the Civil War and follows Jews' varied reactions during his presidential campaign and his presidency. It's the question that still gets asked today: Are you a Jew first or an American first? Do you place your vote based on a single issue, or for the candidate that upholds the larger...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good read. Redundant at times but really shed some light on the lives of the Jews living in this country in its infancy. Enlightening.

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Apr 16, 2012 Gail rated it 1 of 5 stars

I was so looking forward to reading this book but only reached page 55. I found the information interesting enough but the prose is boring.

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Jul 01, 2012 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

I don't generally love historical non-fiction books, but this was very interesting.

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Dec 21, 2012 Dewayne Stark rated it 3 of 5 stars

More information about General Grant I would never had known.

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May 28, 2013 Gail Gross-brown rated it 4 of 5 stars

I wanted to read the book before I went to the author's discussion on the book. I found it interesting to read concerning a fact in history most people are unaware of in our country's history. I would recommend it to individuals who enjoy reading history books.

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Feb 05, 2013 Ben Zeidman rated it 4 of 5 stars

A fascinating account of Grant's order 11 and the ensuing relationship between himself and the American Jewish community.

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Oct 06, 2012 Michael Kallan rated it 3 of 5 stars

About the issuing of General Orders No. 11 in December 1862; Sarna's book describes the effect it had on Ulysses S. Grant in his later years as President and up until his death in 1885. While the book is short, it is at it's most effective in describing Grant and his making amends with the Jewish community in post-Civil War America. Redemption is the most sincere through actions, and I felt Sarna was convincing (and at the same time balanced) in making this argument.

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Jun 13, 2013 David rated it 3 of 5 stars

Very interesting part of history that I'm embarrassed that I had never heard of before. Book did a good job exploring the incident and reaction as wells as Grant's record on jewish issues as president (which was apparently very good)

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Apr 05, 2012 Gwen marked it as to-read

Recommended to Gwen by: Jeffrey Goldberg 4.5.2012

Shelves: history, falls-church

Source: Jeffrey Goldberg 4.5.2012

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Apr 27, 2012 Mike Cavosie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Yeah, pretty arcane stuff. But the book was quite interesting. Really!

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Jun 19, 2012 Kara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: civil-war, judaic-americana

Chapter 1 covers the incident itself, and it was a riveting read to watch events unfold, but then the rest of the book falls apart as the author drones on and on about Reconstruction and just completely lost me.

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Jun 22, 2012 John Stein rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: judaism, history

A great little book about a largely overlooked and vitally relevant episode in American history and American Jewish history.

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About Jonathan D. Sarna

Jonathan D. Sarna is the Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University and chief historian of the National Museum of American Jewish History. He has written, edited, or co-edited more than twenty books and is best known for the acclaimed American Judaism: A History, which received the Jewish Book Council’s Everett Family Foundation Jewish Book of the Year...more

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Books by Jonathan D. Sarna

A Time to Every Purpose: Letters to a Young Jew

Women and American Judaism: Volume 1, Western Dominance, 1900-1945

Minority Faiths and the American Protestant Mainstream

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