Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Chicago monuments under assault, Part 25: Robert Morris-George Washington-Haym Salomon Monument

George Washington of course was the commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and is justiably called the Father of our Nation. 

Of course he had help. Two of those men who are usually forgotten are the finanacial heroes, Robert Morris and Haym Salomon.

The three men are memorialized by the Robert Morris-George Washington-Haym Salomon Monument  in Chicago's North Loop at Heald Square--and it's one of the 41 monuments "under" review by the sneaky Chicago Monuments Project. What Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass calls "Lori Lightfoot's woke committee on problematic statuary." It's the woke mayor's response to the summer riot outside Grant Park's Christopher Columbus statue.

The Robert Morris-George Washington-Haym Salomon Monument was designed by noted sculptor Larado Taft, who died in 1936. It was completed in 1941 by three of his associates, Nellie Walker, Leonard Crunelle, and Fred Torrey.

Washington owned slaves--everyone knows that. So did Salomon and Morris. The latter man, who born in England, was a member of the Continental Congress and he was one of the few men to sign all three of these important American documents, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution. Morris also served as the young nation's first superintendant of finance. Later in life he was a US senator from Pennsylania. 

Salomon was also foreign-born--he was native of Poland. Salomon, who also settled in Pennsylvania, was Jewish--making him the only Jew on the Chicago Monument Project's hit list. 

Late in the Revolutionay War, when the British were trapped in Yorktown, Washington asked Morris for funds to move the Continental Army to finish off Cornwallis' army and end the war. Morris told Washington, whose army was flirting with mutiny, that there was no money. Washington said to Morris, "Send for Haym Salomon. He secured the funds and you know the rest of the story. About Washington yes. But not of Saloman and Morris. Both men died broke. Salomon passed away in 1784 at the age of 44. Morris lived much longer but his late years were tragic. He spent three-and-half years in a debtor's prison. He was released in 1891 after Congress passed its first bankruptcy bill.

At the base of the Robert Morris-George Washington-Haym Salomon Monument is this inscription from Washington's address to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island.
The government of United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.

To comment on the monuments "under review" please visit the Chicago Monuments Project's "Feedback page." Please be courteous but firm in your comments. 

Please Tweet this post. When you do so use the #ChicagoMonuments hashtag.

Earlier posts: 

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