A complete two-volume first edition of Three Years in America (1859–1862) by I.J. Benjamin, translated from the German by Charles Reznikoff, with an introduction by historian Oscar Handlin.
Originally published in Germany in 1862, this travel narrative offers a rare firsthand account of Jewish life in America before the Civil War — from the streets of New York and New Orleans to the plantations of the South. Benjamin, often called “the Jewish Tocqueville,” documented the diversity, struggles, and promise of a young American nation through a uniquely global lens.
This 1956 English translation was issued by The Jewish Publication Society of America as part of the Jacob R. Schiff Library of Jewish Contributions to American Democracy, a landmark mid-century series celebrating Jewish intellectual and cultural influence.
•Title: Three Years in America, 1859–1862
•Author: I.J. Benjamin (Isaac Benjamin II)
•Translator: Charles Reznikoff
•Introduction: Oscar Handlin
•Publisher: The Jewish Publication Society of America, Philadelphia
•Year: 1956
•Edition: First English Edition
•Volumes: 2 (complete)
•Binding: Navy blue cloth, silver-stamped spines, clear dust covers
•Condition: Near fine — clean, bright interiors, tight bindings, very light shelf wear
A remarkable historical set that bridges literature, religion, and early American identity — perfect for collectors of Judaica, travel writing, or 19th-century American studies.