Solomon Etting (28 July 1764 – 6 August 1847) was a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

merchant and politician in

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 Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. Before moving to Baltimore in 1791, Etting lived in

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

and

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster ( ) is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, eighth-most populous ci ...

. He was a trained

shochet In Judaism, ''shechita'' (anglicized: ; ; ; also transliterated ''shehitah, shechitah, shehita'') is ritual slaughtering of certain mammals and birds for food according to ''kashrut''. One who practices this, a kosher butcher is called a ''sho ...

, one of the first in American history. Maryland banned non-Christians from holding office or practicing law. In 1797, Etting and his father-in-law Bernard Gratz petitioned to "be placed upon the same footing with other good citizens" but were unsuccessful then, as well as in 1802 and 1824. Another partner in the fight was Baltimore banker Jacob I. Cohen Jr. On 3 October 1796, Etting placed an advertisement in the ''Federal Gazette'' seeking the return of an escaped slave named "Darkey". In the advertisement, Etting noted that he had paid $200 for the slave. Etting followed another Jewish immigrant, Jacob Henry, in the endeavor to attain public office.

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

denied public office to all non-Protestants, when in 1809, Henry made a speech which became famous, asserting his inalienable right to sit in the state's House of Commons, and the House took his part. Henry asked, "Will you drive from your shores and from the shelter of your constitution all who do not lay their oblations on the same altar, observe the same ritual, and subscribe to the same dogmas? If so, which among the various sects into which we are divided shall be the favored one?" Around 1820, there were about 4,000 Jews in the United States; only seven of the original 13 states recognized them politically. In 1826, the " Jew Bill" finally passed, allowing members of the Jewish faith to hold public office upon swearing to a belief in "the doctrine of reward and punishment" rather than the generally required declaration of belief in Christianity. Etting was then elected to the Baltimore City Council. At that time, the American Jewish population numbered 6,000. Solomon was one of eight children born to Shinah Solomon Etting and her husband Elijah Etting.

References

External links

Etting Cemetery – Explore Baltimore Heritage
1764 births 1847 deaths 18th-century American merchants Activists against antisemitism American people of German-Jewish descent Baltimore City Council members Jewish American people in Maryland politics American slave owners Jews from Maryland People from York, Pennsylvania People from Lancaster, Pennsylvania Politicians from Baltimore Shochtim 19th-century American merchants 19th-century American Jews 19th-century Maryland politicians {{US-business-bio-1760s-stub