The Gratz family were important figures in the social, intellectual, and business life of Philadelphia during the Revolutionary and early national period, and were central figures in the Jewish community. Barnard (1738-1801) and Michael Gratz (1740-1811), emigrants from Silesia to Philadelphia, were business partners with extensive interests in coastal shipping and western trade, and actively supported America's independence. Michael's daughter, Rebecca (1781-1869), became arguably the most famous member of the family through her philanthropic activities, helping to found the Philadelphia Orphan Society (1815), the Hebrew Sunday School Society (1838), and supporting many other causes.
From the guide to the Gratz Family Papers, 1750-1974, (American Philosophical Society)
