Abraham Jonas (born September 12, 1801, in

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

, England; died June 8, 1864) was the first permanent Jewish resident in

Quincy, Illinois Quincy ( ), known as Illinois's "Gem City", is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States, located on the Mississippi River. The 2020 census counted a population of 39,463 in the city itself, down from 40,633 in 2010. ...

.Frolic, David A
"From Strangers to Neighbors: The Children of Abraham Lincoln in Quincy, IL"
''Journal of Illinois History,'' 2004, Vol. 7, No. 1. He was a member of the Illinois and Kentucky state legislatures, a leading lawyer, Freemason, and a valued friend of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

.Markens, Isaac
"Abraham Lincoln and the Jews"
(1909) pp. 17-22.
Jewish Virtual Library.

Biography

Jonas was born in

, England to Annie Ezekiel and Benjamin Jonas. Abraham's brother, Joseph Jonas, moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, becoming the first Jew to settle west of the

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range (; also spelled Alleghany or Allegany), informally the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada and posed a significant barrier to land travel in less devel ...

.Frolic, David A. (1998
"From Immigration to Integration: Jewish Life in Quincy in the Nineteenth Century"
Abraham and his brother Edward joined Joseph in Cincinnati in 1819. Abraham and his two brothers were original members of Congregation B'nai Israel (Sons of Israel), the first Jewish congregation west of the Allegheny Mountains. Abraham also joined the Freemasons in Cincinnati. He and Joseph married Lucy and Rachel Seixas; daughters of the first Rabbi born in America –

Gershom Mendes Seixas Gershom Mendes Seixas (January 15, 1745 – July 2, 1816) was the first native-born Jewish religious leader in the United States. An American Patriot, he served as the hazzan of Congregation Shearith Israel, New York City's first Spanish and Portu ...

. Lucy suddenly died in 1825, and Abraham moved to Williamstown, Kentucky. There he married Louisa Block from a pioneering Jewish American family and operated a general store. He was elected to the state legislature for four years. While in Kentucky, Abraham helped to organize Grant Lodge, U.D., for which he served as its charter Master in 1826. In August 1833, he was elected to serve as the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Kentucky for the typical one-year term. During that time he and Louisa had five children. In 1836 he moved to

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

Adams County, Illinois Adams County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,737. Its county seat is Quincy. Adams County is part of the Quincy, IL– MO Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Adams Coun ...

, to operate a general store. Within two years he moved to

opening a carriage business and studying law in Orville Browning's office. He helped to organize the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Illinois in 1840. He served as Master of Columbus Lodge No. 6 in

Columbus, Illinois Columbus is a village in Adams County, Illinois, United States. The population was 114 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Quincy, IL– MO Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Columbus was platted in 1835. A post office called Columb ...

in 1840 and in 1842; he was also elected to serve as Grand Master in October 1840, in which office he remained until October 1842 (when he was succeeded in office by Meredith Helm). During the second year of his term as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge, he established Masonic Lodges under dispensation in

Nauvoo, Illinois Nauvoo ( ; from the ) is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States, on the Mississippi River near Fort Madison, Iowa. The population of Nauvoo was 950 at the 2020 census. Nauvoo attracts visitors for its historic importance and its ...

and in Montrose,

Iowa Territory The Territory of Iowa was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Iowa. The remaind ...

(Nauvoo Lodge, U.D. and Rising Sun Lodge, U.D., respectfully; these were the first of the various "Mormon Lodges" during that time). In 1842 he was elected as a Whig to the state legislature. Lucy and Abraham had three more children around this time. He decided to establish a law partnership with Henry Asbury, turning over the family business to his brothers Edward and Samuel who had joined him in Quincy in 1840 or 1841. Although Abraham Lincoln was no longer in the Illinois General Assembly, it is likely that Jonas met Lincoln during Jonas's service in the legislature in Springfield. Jonas ran for the Illinois Senate in 1844 but was defeated by the Democratic candidate. But his loyalty to the Whig party earned him the position as postmaster of Quincy in 1849 serving until 1853.Landrum, Carl. (January 31, 1971) "Lincoln and the Jonas Family", ''Landrum's Quincy'', Volume 2, Quincy Herald-Whig. Lincoln and Jonas remained dear friends during this time. When the Whig party died, Jonas and Lincoln both joined the new Republican Party. On November 1, 1854 Lincoln was accused of attending a

Know-Nothing Party The Know Nothing party was a nativist political party and movement in the United States in the mid-1850s. The party was officially known as the "Native American Party" prior to 1855 and thereafter, it was simply known as the "American Party". ...

meeting, but was vouched by Jonas who he was actually with.Landrum, Carl. (August 29, 1982) "Abraham Jonas – Early Leader Here". Quincy Herald-Whig. Jonas arranged the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debate in Quincy, and aided Lincoln to his candidacy. It was his law partner Henry Asbury who suggested Lincoln's candidacy in front of a group of local Republicans. Asbury's suggestion was greeted by silence until Jonas agreed that it would be a good idea. Abraham Jonas was noted as one of the greatest orators himself in the area.Mehlman, Mike. (2001) "One of Lincoln's Most Valued Friends". Lincoln Herald. He was elected Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge of Illinois in 1843. Lincoln appointed Jonas postmaster of Quincy in 1861 until his death in 1864. Jonas had seven children, six sons and a daughter. Four of his sons, including future

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Benjamin F. Jonas Benjamin Franklin Jonas (July 19, 1834December 21, 1911) was a Democratic U.S. Senator from Louisiana and an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was the third Jew to serve in the Senate. Jonas was also the ...

, fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War, being residents of Louisiana; two others fought for the Union. Lincoln personally ordered the release of his son Charles Jonas from a prisoner of war camp to be at his father's bedside before he died.

Biography

References

Further reading