Born in the Prussian town of Langendorf (Upper Silesia), MichaelGratz and his five siblings were orphaned when their father, SolomonGratz, died before his time. Michael and his brother Barnardlived in the household of their oldest brother, Hayim, until theywere of age to leave home and seek their fortunes. Michael, inparticular, would see a significant portion of the world before hejoined Barnard in Philadelphia. The restless younger brother in afamily of ambitious merchants, Michael had gone first to Berlin totry to make it in business. When that attempt failed, he foundhimself in Amsterdam, and then London. He next sailed off for theEnglish trading posts in India but returned again without having metsuccess. All of this took place by the time he had turned 18.
Concern for his brother’s future led Barnard to invite Michael tojoin him in Philadelphia in 1758. Michael, now 18, quickly acceptedthe proposal. Barnard was able to set him up in a position workingunder David Franks, while Barnardpursued business under his own name. Less than a year later, Michaelbegan some small ventures in trade both with Barnard andindependently. By 1765, he had left the Franks firm and joinedBarnard full time. The firm of B. & M. Gratz was now in fullswing, and together the brothers engaged in a variety of tradingactivities, from Indian trade and land speculation to the coastaltrade with the Caribbean. Among their more important businessconnections was Joseph Simon, an Indian trader established inLancaster, to the west of Philadelphia. Simon, a devoutly observantJew, was on the lookout for potential husbands for his six daughterswho met both his exacting religious standards and his need forbusiness partners. Although at first he disliked Michael, Simon waseventually won over. His eldest daughter, Miriam,then 20, wed the 29-year-old Gratz in 1769.
Michael and Miriam would have twelve children, of whom only one diedyoung, sparking the predominance of the Gratz family inPhiladelphia’s Jewish circles. Michael’s business instincts weresuccessful over the course of many years, and his family enjoyed thebenefits that wealth and standing brought. Among their children wereFrances, Rebecca,Benjamin, Rachel,Hyman, andJoseph. All of the children receivedsecondary level education, and Michael was able to provide collegeeducation for several of them. However, his mercantile career wascut short when he suffered a debilitating stroke in 1800, when he was62. He would linger for another eleven years and finally died in1811, surviving his much-lamented wife by three years.
