In 1852, Longfellow—a descendant of settlers who colonized New England in the 1600s—visited Newport with his family. Longfellow found the recently restored Jewish cemetery in town particularly moving: He could read and write Hebrew and was deeply interested in Jewish history and culture. “The Jewish Cemetery at Newport” directly stemmed from Longfellow’s visit and references several historically accurate details. Newport was the site of one of the earliest Jewish settlements in the United States. This first wave of Jewish immigrants ended up in Newport in the mid-17th century. Founded by Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, Rhode Island was the colony famous for permitting religious tolerance. Unsurprisingly, many Jewish people (often successful merchants) ended up in the seaside city of Newport. These first settlers were descendants of Sephardim from Southern Europe, and many came to America by way of the Caribbean and South America. In example, the burial ground commemorated by Longfellow was first acquired by Mordecai Campernell, who lived in Brazil. Campernell had connections with the small Jewish community in Barbados, and persuaded some of them of the “far greater possibilities” Newport offered.

In “The Jewish Cemetery at Newport” Longfellow displays a sensitivity which was a rarity at a time when anti-Semitism was acceptable.