Experience the American dream with today’s Patriots of the Past interview. I’m your host, John Gillespie.
It’s November 17, 1778. I’m with Jewish American banker Haym Salomon.
JG: “Mr. Salomon, you have been beaten and imprisoned by the British and you have just given the Continental Congress $600,000. Why are you willing to sacrifice so much?”
HS: “Mr. Gillespie, back in Poland, there is little freedom. In America, freedom is your middle name and it burns in your bosom. Americans love life and liberty and I love America for that. It’s the least I can do.”
Like Mr. Salomon, many Americans made sacrifices to secure freedom for future generations.
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Haym Salomon historical marker reads, “Financier of the Revolution. Came to America ca. 1772. Imprisoned by British, 1776 and 1778. Lived in Philadelphia, 1778-85; active in its Jewish community. A broker, he lent money heavily to support the war. Never repaid, he himself died in debt.”
John and Jan Gillespie are the founders of the Rawhide Boys’ Ranch; they have fostered 351 teenagers and wrote the book Our 351 Sons; they have also assisted numerous churches in developing youth programs and expanding their total church ministries. After running for U.S. Senate, John founded 1776 American Dream, which exists to demonstrate the vision of our founding fathers and help our generation of youth passionately embrace those values.
