The second of four children born to Rachel Franks (first cousin to the Franks children) and Haym Salomon, Sallie came into the world at a time of strife and uncertainty. The Revolutionary War gripped America, and hers was a family deeply ensconced in the patriot cause. Her uncle Colonel Isaac Franks fought battles in New York and Massachusetts, and served several months in a British prison.

Her father, who would become the famed “financier of the Revolution,” had since 1772 been a member of the Sons of Liberty, a secret society of patriots. He too found himself behind bars on account of his political sentiments—first in a makeshift prison created in an old warehouse where Salomon may have contracted pneumonia, and later in the Provost, the main British prison in New York.

Because Hessian soldiers were being used as prison guards, and few if any of the British officers spoke German, Salomon, who did speak the language, was let out of his cell and made a translator. It wasn’t too long before he managed to escape. Salomon fled British-controlled New York for the revolutionary capital, Philadelphia, leaving behind his wife and month-old son, Ezekiel. He soon managed to smuggle wife and son to Philadelphia, and the following year Sallie was born.

In Philadelphia Salomon established a brokerage firm and despite the continuing war found success in finance. He soon began making increasingly significant loans to members of Congress and to the military. Among his contributions was $20,000 to Washington’s troops to finance their campaign at Yorktown, making possible the American victory and Cornwallis’ surrender.

After playing a crucial role in the patriot cause, Haym died at age forty-five, leaving Rachel with three children, a fourth on the way and over $50,000 in debts. This issue of debt would consume the energy of several generations of Salomons, as they vainly sought recompense from Congress for Haym’s efforts in the Revolution.

Rachel had to bring the three children home to her family in New York to await the birth of her fourth child. The following year she married David Heilborn, who helped bring up Sallie and Rachel’s other three children.

In 1794 Sallie was married to Joseph Andrews. Together they would have eight children, including Joseph I. Andrews.