PHC Virtual Program Featuring Mark Dillon

During the American Revolutionary War, Polish-Jewish American banker Haym Salomon was George Washington’s financial rainmaker. Salomon raised more than $9 billion (in today’s dollars), converted French loans into working capital and donated his personal fortune to help the Continental Army buy supplies, pay troops and provide the resources for the 1781 three-month march from Westchester, NY to Yorktown, VA. Born in Leszno, Poland in 1740, Salomon spoke several languages. He co-founded the first synagogue in America, in Philadelphia, and was a champion of religious freedom. Sculptures honoring Salomon, who died at age 45, can be found in Chicago (with Washington and Robert Morris) and Los Angeles. He was featured on a 1975 US postage stamp.