David Franks

Download or read book David Franks written by Mark Abbott Stern and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2015-11-04 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: David Franks, a colonial businessman in Philadelphia, was one of the most important figures in American Jewish history in the eighteenth century. This extensively researched biography illuminates not only Franks's personal dealings, but also his business life. Franks was involved with Indian trade, ship design and building, manufacturing, international trade, land speculation, westward exploration, and military provisioning. This volume follows Franks from his beginnings in a prominent Jewish family to his trials for treason and his exile in the postrevolutionary period, offering a unique portrait of a forgotten American.