LINCOLN REVOKES GENERAL ULYSSES GRANT’S EXPULSION OF JEWS (IN-PERSON)

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In December 1862, Civil War Union General Ulysses S. Grant issued an order expelling all Jews from his military district, which included areas of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi, in an effort to stop illegal cotton smuggling. The expulsion was fully carried out in Paducah, Kentucky, where Jewish families were forcibly removed. In response, Jewish leaders met with President Lincoln to protest the decree, emphasizing that Jewish soldiers were also fighting for the Union and this was an unjust punishment for the actions of a few people. President Lincoln revoked the order in January 1863. This order left a stain on Grant’s reputation, as well as reaffirmed the hierarchical position of Jews in American society.