Mendes Israel Cohen (1796–1879) was a Jewish American politician, soldier, traveler and businessman who lived in Baltimore, Maryland.

Early life

Cohen was born in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, in 1796, one of nine children of Israel I. Cohen and Judith Solomon Cohen. The family moved to

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, Maryland, in 1803. As a young man he worked in the family businesses: Cohen's Lottery and Exchange, and Jacob I. Cohen, Jr. and Brothers Banking House. The Cohens' lottery raised money to help finance construction of Baltimore’s Washington Monument in Mount Vernon. In 1821, they and their lottery were the subject of a Supreme Court lawsuit

Cohens v. Virginia ''Cohens v. Virginia'', 19 U.S. (6 Wheat.) 264 (1821), is a landmark case by the Supreme Court of the United States that asserts the Court's power to review state supreme court decisions in criminal law matters if defendants claim that their const ...

, asserting the federal government’s right to review and overturn state Supreme Court decisions.

Military service

In the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

, Cohen and his brothers Philip and Jacob joined a volunteer company charged with defending Baltimore–Nicholson’s Artillery Fencibles—serving under Captain Joseph H. Nicholson. He participated in the

Battle of Baltimore The Battle of Baltimore took place between British and American forces on September 12–15, 1814 during the War of 1812. Defending American forces repulsed sea and land invasions off the busy port city of Baltimore, Maryland, by British fo ...

World travel

In 1829, Cohen retired from the family business a wealthy man and traveled the world collecting artifacts. He visited England, Russia, Turkey, Jerusalem, Egypt, and most of the countries in Central and Western Europe. He was said to be the first American to tour the

Nile Valley The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the longest river i ...

. He was a prolific writer of letters, which often contained his itinerary and appointments. Cohen attended the coronation of

William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded hi ...

in June 1830 and the funeral of

King George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...

in August 1830. He met

Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI (; ; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in June 1846. He had adopted the name Mauro upon enteri ...

on January 29, 1831. He represented Maryland at the coronation of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

in 1838. He was the first American citizen who received permission from the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

to visit Jerusalem and he wrote about the hardships of the Jews of Jerusalem.

Public service

Rembrandt Peale - Colonel Mendes Cohen - 53-1930 - Saint Louis Art Museum

Cohen returned to the United States and became a public servant, first as an aide to the Maryland governor, Thomas Veazey. Veazey gave Mendes the ceremonial title "Colonel" in recognition of his service in the Battle of Baltimore. He was elected to the House of Delegates from Baltimore City in 1847 and served a single term. He was the first Jewish member of the Maryland General Assembly and serves as a trustee to the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...

. He was also on the board of the Hebrew Benevolent Society in 1858 when they launched plans for the Hebrew Hospital of Baltimore, now known as Sinai Hospital.

Legacy

Cohen was a lifelong bachelor and died without heirs. His collections from his travels were donated in 1884 by his namesake nephew to

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

, where they became the Cohen collection of Egyptian antiquities. His portrait was painted by Joseph Wood (1818) and

Rembrandt Peale Rembrandt Peale (February 22, 1778 – October 3, 1860) was an American artist and museum keeper. A prolific portrait painter, he was especially acclaimed for his likenesses of presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Peale's style wa ...

(1838). The

Jewish Museum of Maryland The Jewish Museum of Maryland is located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The museum tells the story of the American Jews, American Jewish experience in the city of Baltimore and throughout the US state of Maryland. Description The museu ...

created an exhibit about his life in 2015.

References

External links

The A-Mazing Mendes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cohen, Mendes 1796 births 1879 deaths Members of the Maryland House of Delegates American people of the War of 1812 People from Baltimore People from Richmond, Virginia People of the War of 1812 Jewish American people in Maryland politics 19th-century members of the Maryland General Assembly