Jacob Rodriguez Rivera

Merchant
Jacob Rodriguez Rivera was a U.S. merchant and a founder of Yeshuat Israel Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island.

Rivera was born in Spain, and naturalized in New York in 1746, but soon moved to Newport. During the two prerevolutionary decades, Rivera became a distinguished merchant shipper, trading in numerous commodities, including slaves, but his chief – and quite possibly pioneering – interest was the spermaceti candle industry. Around 1760 he partnered with Henry Collins, a founder of the Redwood Library, which Rivera also supported. During the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), Rivera accompanied his son-in-law Aaron Lopez to Leicester, Massachusetts and took up farming there but, following Lopez’ untimely death in 1782, Rivera reestablished himself at Newport.