#OTDJH: July 1st, 1845
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David Levy Yulee becomes the first Jewish man elected to the US Senate. Yulee, represented the new state of Florida from 1845-1851 and from 1855-1861.
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Yulee, a Jew of Sephardic descent, was born on St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands and possessed both Morrocan and Spanish descendancy – most likely a direct result of his family’s exile from the Iberian region due to the Inquisition.
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Unfortunately, but important to note, Yulee was also a supporter of slavery and Florida’s secession from the Union. He served a nine-month prison term at Fort Pulaski following the end of the Civil War for his part in aiding the former Confederate President, Jefferson Davis’ escape.
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In between his first and second stint in the US Senate, Yulee established a five thousand acre sugar cane plantation which was constructed and operated by slaves. While most of the plantation became a casualty of the Civil War, what remains was refashioned as the Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins State Historic Site in Homosassa County Florida.
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Image Source:
https://www.jacksonvillemag.com/2017/01/26/trials-tribulations-many-lives-david-levy-yulee/
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