David Levy Yulee

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David Levy Yulee
United States Senator from Florida
In office July 1, 1845 – March 3, 1851 March 4, 1855 – January 21, 1861
Preceded by	(none) Jackson Morton
Succeeded by	Stephen Mallory Thomas W. Osborn
Born	June 12, 1810(1810-06-12) Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands
Died	October 10, 1886(1886-10-10) (aged 76) New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Nannie C. Wickliffe Yulee
Profession	Politician, Lawyer
Religion	Judaism, conversion to Christianity

David Levy Yulee (June 12, 1810 – October 10, 1886) was an American politician from Florida and the first Jewish member of the United States Senate. ^[1]

Contents [show] 1 Biography 1.1 U.S. Congress 1.2 Florida businessman 1.3 Confederate Congress and Reconstruction 1.4 Death and legacy 2 References 3 External links

[edit] Biography

Yulee was born David Levy in Charlotte Amalie, on the island of St. Thomas, during the British occupation of the Danish West Indies, now the United States Virgin Islands. His father, Moses Elias Levy, bought 50,000 acres (200 km²) of land near present-day Jacksonville to establish a "New Jerusalem" for Jewish settlers. ^[1]

[edit] U.S. Congress

After studying and practicing law in St. Augustine, David Levy became the delegate to United States Congress for the Florida Territory and was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate when Florida was admitted to the Union in 1845.^[2] In 1846, he officially changed his name to David Levy Yulee (adding his father's ancestral Sephardic surname) and married Nannie C. Wickliffe, the daughter of Charles A. Wickliffe, former governor of Kentucky and Postmaster General under President John Tyler. His wife was not Jewish, and their children were raised as Christians.^[1] After serving one term in the Senate, Yulee was defeated for re-election in 1850.

[edit] Florida businessman

The next year, he founded a 5,000-acre (20 km²) sugar plantation along the Homosassa River. The remains of his plantation are found at the Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins State Historic Site.
While living in Fernandina, he began to follow his dream to build a railroad across Florida. He had originally planned to build a state-owned system as far back as 1837, but in 1851, he became the first southerner to utilize federal grants by drawing up an "Internal Improvement Act". Using federal and state land grants and public stock. The Florida Railroad was chartered in 1853. The terminals would be the deep water ports, Fernandina on Amelia Island on the Atlantic side and Cedar Key on the Gulf. Construction began in 1855 and on March 1, 1861, the first train arrived in Cedar Key, just weeks before the beginning of the Civil War.

[edit] Confederate Congress and Reconstruction

Elected to the Senate again in 1855, he served until January 21, 1861, when he withdrew from the Senate after Florida seceded to join the Congress of the Confederacy. In 1865 he was imprisoned in Fort Pulaski due to his support for the Confederacy.^[1] After his release from confinement, he rebuilt the Yulee Railroad, which had been destroyed during the war. Yulee held a number of executive positions in Florida railroads and hosted President Ulysses S. Grant in 1870 in Fernandina.

[edit] Death and legacy

He moved to Washington, D.C. in 1880 and died six years later while in New York. Yulee was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.^[1]

Both the town of Yulee, Florida and Levy County, Florida are named for him. He was designated a Great Floridian by the Florida Department of State in the Great Floridians 2000 Program. Plaques attesting to the honor are found at both the Fernandina Chamber of Commerce and the Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins State Historic Site in Homosassa.^[2]

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Charles Downing	Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida Territory 1841 – 1845	Succeeded by None. Statehood granted.
United States Senate
Preceded by (none)	United States Senator (Class 1) from Florida July 1, 1845 – March 3, 1851 Served alongside: James D. Westcott, Jr. and Jackson Morton	Succeeded by Stephen R. Mallory
Preceded by Jackson Morton	United States Senator (Class 3) from Florida March 4, 1855 – January 21, 1861 Served alongside: Stephen Mallory	Succeeded by Thomas W. Osborn(1)
Notes and references
1. Because of Florida's secession, the Senate seat was vacant for seven years before Osborn succeeded Yulee.

[show] v • d • e United States Senators from Florida Class 1 Yulee • Mallory, Sr. • Welch • Gilbert • Jones • Pasco • Taliaferro • N. Bryan • Trammell • Loftin • Andrews • Holland • Chiles • Mack • Nelson Class 3 Westcott • Morton • Yulee • Osborn • Conover • Call • Mallory, Jr. • W. Bryan • Milton • Fletcher • Hill • Pepper • Smathers • Gurney • Stone • Hawkins • Graham • Martinez • LeMieux • Rubio (elect)

[show] v • d • e Chairmen of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services Military Affairs Committee (1816–1947) J. Williams • Troup • J. Williams • Jackson • Harrison • Benton • Preston • Crittenden • Benton • Davis • Shields • Weller • Davis • Wilson • Logan • Spencer • Randolph • Logan • Hawley • Walthall • Hawley • Warren • du Pont • Johnston • Chamberlain • Wadsworth • Reed • Sheppard • Reynolds • Thomas Naval Affairs Committee (1816–1947) Tait • Sanford • Pleasants • Lloyd • Hayne • Dallas • Southard • Rives • R. Williams • Mangum • Bayard • Fairfield • Yulee • Gwin • Mallory • J. Hale • Grimes • Cragin • Sargent • McPherson • Cameron • McPherson • Cameron • E. Hale • Perkins • Tillman • Swanson • Page • F. Hale • Trammell • Walsh Armed Services Committee (1947–) Gurney • Tydings • Russell • Saltonstall • Russell • Stennis • Tower • Goldwater • Nunn • Thurmond • Warner • Levin • Warner • Levin • Warner • Levin

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Jewish Virtual Library: David Levy Yulee". http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/yulee.html. Retrieved 2009-05-15. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Florida Department of State: Great Floridians 2000 Program". http://www.flheritage.com/services/sites/floridians/?section=h. 

[edit] External links

• Detailed biography at Yulee Railroad Days website
• Guide to the David L. Yulee Papers at the University of Florida
• David Levy Yulee at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Biography at Jewish Virtual Library

Persondata
Name	Yulee, David Levy
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	June 12, 1810
Place of birth	Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands
Date of death	October 10, 1886
Place of death	New York City, New York, U.S.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Levy_Yulee"

Categories: 1810 births | Immigrants to the United States | 1886 deaths | Florida Democrats | 19th-century American railroad executives | American Presbyterians | Naturalized citizens of the United States | Jewish United States Senators | Jewish members of the United States House of Representatives | Sephardi Jews | Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Florida Territory | United States Senators from Florida | Converts to Christianity from Judaism | United States Virgin Islands Jews | American people of United States Virgin Islands descent | American people of Virgin Islands descent | Florida lawyers | Great Floridians | Democratic Party United States Senators