Benjamin Jewell and the World of Jewish Merchants and Planters

Drawing on the story of the exceptional merchant and planter Benjamin Jewell, this book provides a fascinating re-examination of Southern and Jewish history. It offers key insights into the intricate relationship between capitalism and slavery, and how these forces impacted Jewish communities in the antebellum South. Benjamin Jewell was a German-Jewish immigrant who arrived in the United States in 1785. His multifaceted story provides a unique lens: It allows for a more comprehensive understanding of Jewish diversities since it is not limited to a restricted geographical area and included both urban and rural venues. Moreover, his movements within the region illuminate the critical importance of economic, geographical, historical, and socio-cultural specificities in comprehending the actual dynamics of Jewish migration during this period. Through a study that combines contextual and comparative aspects, this book identifies and explains some of the often-underappreciated characteristics that distinguished Southern Jews during this era. It explores how they were simultaneously accepted insiders within the broader society while also maintaining their distinct identity as Jews, publicly recognized yet non-threatening to Gentiles. Ultimately, Luke Swindler uses Jewell’s story to propose expansive, and even alternative, understandings of what it truly meant to be Jewish while also becoming Southern.