On January 29th, 1808, Ezekiel Hart was sworn in as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, which was then under British-colonial rule. Hart was an entrepreneur before he became interested in politics. While living in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, he founded a brewery with his brothers, opened his own general store, and also served as a militia officer during the American Revolution. However, he ultimately decided to give up his business ventures in exchange for a career in government.Hart’s appointment made him one of the first Jews to be chosen for public office in the British Empire, and his oath of office, which was inconsistent with the customary British oath of office, was the subject of much controversy. In April of 1807, after a successful run, Hart was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, the house responsible for creating bills on behalf of the provincial government. The Assembly was created in 1791 but it had never seen a Jew run for office. For this reason, the swearing-in process was not made to accommodate anyone but a Christian. Typically, the Bible would be used, but on January 29, 1808, this changed. Hart swore his oath on a Torah while wearing a kippah; actions that opponents claimed invalidated the oath. Thomas Coffin, who was runner-up in the election, believed he was an illegitimate recipient of the position. Such resistance caused him to lose his position in February of 1808 by a majority vote.He tried once more to run for the Legislature in late 1808 emerging victorious yet again; this time, when taking his oath on the Bible in the traditional fashion. Nevertheless, he was expelled again by the Assembly. It is unknown as to why he was permitted to run a second time, only to be forced out of the position.While Hart never chose to run again, he actively opposed British-Canadian antisemitic behavior. In 1832, the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada passed the Emancipation Act, guaranteeing Canadian Jews full rights. The Jewish community was permitted to build new synagogues, keep its own census system, and successfully run for office. Hart’s cousin, Henry Judah, became one of many to serve in Canada’s provincial government.