Israel Whelen (1752-1806) was a prosperous Pennsylvania merchant and government agent. Whelen was born into a family of

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

, yet he joined the

Patriot movement In the United States, the patriot movement is a term which is used to describe a conglomeration of non-unified right-wing populist, nationalist political movements, most notably far-right armed militias, sovereign citizens, and tax protester ...

and raised a company of Associators which he commanded in the field; subsequently being disowned by the

Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

, he insisted it was right to oppose "lawless tyranny." He served as a commissioner and financial agent for Congress in 1776, for signing Continental currency banknotes. Whelen later moved to Philadelphia where he started a

grocery A grocery store ( AE), grocery shop ( BE) or simply grocery is a store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday U.S. usage, however, "grocery store" is a synonym for supermarket, an ...

business. In 1794 he joined forces with Joseph Miller; their

partnership A partnership is an arrangement where parties, known as business partners, agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments o ...

soon expanded into

shipping Freight transport, also referred as ''Freight Forwarding'', is the physical process of transporting Commodity, commodities and merchandise goods and cargo. The term shipping originally referred to transport by sea but in American English, it h ...

and at the end of the century also into an active trade in

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). ...

with Revolutionary France, in spite of Whelen being a

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

state senator."Israel Whelen." ''Pennsylvania State Senat.''
Retrieved Oct. 5, 2021. As state senator Whelen sat on a committee to secure ratification of the Jay Treaty, and was also a member of the electoral college for Pennsylvania when 14 of 15 electors cast their ballots for

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

. He became United States commissioner of assessed taxes for the District of Pennsylvania, in charge of collecting all federal revenues in the state. Whelen was American agent of the Phoenix Insurance Company of London, one of the first members of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange when it was founded in 1790, a

Director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

of the Bank of the United States when it was founded in 1791, and president of the Lancaster Turnpike Company. In 1800, Whelen was appointed purveyor of public supplies; an office he led until 1803. He was, as "Agent for the removal of the Public Departments" in charge of physically moving the government from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. As a merchant, Whelen amassed substantial assets and he built an impressive home near

Downingtown Downingtown is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 7,898. Downingtown was settled by European colonists in the early 18th century and has a number of historic buildings an ...

. Yet, shortly before his death he suffered significant losses when the French government under

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

seized a number of his ships.

Legacy

The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support Headquarters in Philadelphia is dedicated in honor of Israel Whelen."DLA Troop Support Headquarters dedication ceremony honors local historical figure Israel Whelen." ''Defense Logistics Agency.''
Retrieved Oct. 5, 2021.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whelen, Israel 1752 births 1806 deaths Pennsylvania state senators People from Chester County, Pennsylvania 18th-century United States government officials 19th-century United States government officials United States Purveyor of Public Supplies