“For what it is worth, I do not think Jacob Henry thought of himself as Jewish. He was more, I think, a Jeffersonian free-thinker, a deist, and a Mason, and he had Jewish relatives and a Jewish wife. There is certainly no record (of which I am aware) affirming that he had a Jewish mother, or otherwise converted to Judaism, or practiced Judaism. Of course, in those days, in North Carolina, there would be few such records, and few would survive even if they had existed. There are some materials pointing in the other direction too, but it is difficult to express confidence on any of these points with such a slight record. It is far too easy to believe the myths because they are so endearing, and because they fit so well with the post-Federalist-era narrative of the decline of state churches (including: state religious tests and state-imposed religious oaths) in favour of freedom of conscience along Jeffersonian lines.”
Seth Barrett Tillman, ‘Jacob Henry: A Letter to an Academic,’ New Reform Club (Oct. 30, 2026, 9:56 AM), <https://reformclub.blogspot.com/2026/10/jacob-henry-letter-to-academic.html>;
See also:
1. Seth Barrett Tillman, What Oath (if any) did Jacob Henry take in 1809?: Deconstructing the Historical Myths, 61(4) Am. J. Legal Hist. 349–384 (Dec. 2021) (peer review) (OUP, UK) (formerly US-based), <https://tinyurl.com/3etu53m3>, <https://ssrn.com/abstract=3790115>;
and,
2. Seth Barrett Tillman, A
Religious Test in America?: The 1809 Motion to Vacate Jacob Henry’s North
Carolina State Legislative Seat—A Re-Evaluation of the Primary Sources, 98(1)
N.C. Hist. Rev. 1–41 (Jan. 2021) (peer review), <https://ssrn.com/abstract=3498217>.
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