In 1808, Ezekiel Hart, the first Jew elected to Canadian Parliament, was denied his seat when he swore the oath of inauguration on a Jewish Bible. At the time, British laws prohibited Jews and Roman Catholics from such positions, and Hart was expelled from the assembly.
Hart did not run for public office again. He continued to live in Trois-Rivières until his death where he was a successful businessman and well-respected member of the community. He served in the militia during the War of 1812 and became colonel in 1830. He was one of the founders of the Bank of Montreal in 1817. Hart enjoyed success as a businessman until his death in 1843.
No comments:
Post a Comment