Adolph Sutro (1830–1898), born in the German state of Prussia, was the second of 13 children. He received a good education, and by the time he reached the age of 16, he began working full-time in his father’s textile factory. In the coming two years, however, two events took place that would completely alter the family’s prospects.
First, in 1847, Sutro’s father died, leaving him (and a brother) in charge of the family’s business. Second, the Revolution of 1848 swept through Europe. These violent revolutions against the European monarchies all ultimately failed, leading one British historian to note that 1848 “was the turning point at which modern history failed to turn.”
