Jews in America

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Jews in America

• By Ellis H. Adler

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Information
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Prior to Coming to America

• They were dispersed from there homeland Palestine
  in the 1st century
• Numerous small communities of Jew in Europe
• Discriminated by the church and civic authorities
• Restricted to ghettos and forbidden from owning
  land
• Couldnt be landowners, so became merchants
  specialized in long-distance trade
• Series of expulsions
• England-1290
• France-1394
• Spain-1492

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Reasons for coming to America

• First Jews came as individuals, not groups
• Few came as crew members with explorerssome with
  Columbus
• Some were conversos-hidden Jews that converted
  during inquisition
• Spanish Inquisition in 1492-Jews made to convert
  or expelled
• Many Jews fled to Europe and colonies
• 1755-earthquake in Portugal that destroyed many
  jails some Jews escaped to American colonies
• Less persecution in colonies
• Sephardic Jew came-fleeing Inquisition
• Ashkenazi Jews came from Germany, Holand, and
  England

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Spanish Inquisition

• Jews were made to convert or they would be
  torture and expelled
• Jews fled to
• North Africa
• Turkey
• Poland
• Protestant Europe
• Spanish and Portuguese Jews also went to
  Amsterdam (Holand)

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Immigration and New Netherlands

• 1654-Jacob Barisom and Solomon Petersen first
  Jews to come to America from Holland
• 23 Jewish refugees from Brazil arrive in New
  Amsterdam
• Governor Peter Stuyvest wanted to expel Jews,
  Lutherans, and Quakers from New Netherland
• The colony was owned by the Dutch West India
  Company that had several Jews on its board of
  directors
• Peter Stuyvest overruled
• 1656-Stuyvest order to let Jews trade freely and
  own real estate
• 1657-full civil rights granted to Jews by Peter
  Stuyvest

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Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews

• First Jewish immigrants were Sephardic Jew from
  Brazil
• Sephardic Jew originally from Iberian Peninsula
• Brazil was under Dutch rule (tolerant of Jews),
  but the Portuguese took over (non-tolerant)
• 1656-First Jewish congregation made in New
  Amsterdam
• 21 years later-Congregation established in
  Newport, Rhode Island
• 1702-Ashkenazi Jews from Germanic Europe arrive
• Joined synagogues developed by Sephardic Jews
• Sephardic Jews originally didnt accept the
  Ashkenazi Jews
• Over time 2 groups blended and inter-married
• 1776-2000 Jews in the American colonies

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Jews in America

• 1 Jew 1000 settlers
• Jews did not spend time fighting for political
  rights wanted to practice their religions and
  develop livelihood
• Many became merchants-common to trade with
  Curacao significant population from Amsterdam
• Jews built ships
• Merchant ships trade with England, Holland,
  Newfoundland, Curacao, Jamaica, and St.
  Christopher
• Trades salt, sugar, slaves, bottles, bricks,
  coconuts, pork, textiles, tobacco, and onions
• Jews set up trade through families and commercial
  ties they had with Jewish communities in West
  Indies, Britain, and Holland
• Also traded with New Christians (forced Jewish
  converts or their descendants) in Spain and
  Portugal

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Jewish Experience in America

• Became good traders
• Settled in New Port, Charleston, Savannah, and
  Philadelphia
• At first Christians distrusted Jews and denied
  them basic rights as citizens
• 1665-New Amsterdam became New York England took
  over Jews guaranteed religious tolerance
• Won right to be nuturalized (trade freely and
  worship publicly) These rights were also granted
  in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, South Carolina,
  and New York
• Financially supported revolution
• Able to fight in the military

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Jews and revolution

• Jews were on both sides-this was unusual-most
  were on side of colonists
• Many Jewish merchants gave their fleets to
  colonists and gave financial support
• Jews joined army
• Simon was a Jewish merchant who invested in Henry
  rifle which was used in Revolution

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Rights for Jews Post-Revoltion

• Many states had a pledge of Christianity that had
  to be said before taking office
• 1791-Bill of Rights amended to Constitution-one
  at a time the states changed their constitutions
  and no long required the pledge
• 1779-Thomas Jefferson drafted the Virginia Statue
  of Religious Freedom
• Virginia became first state to grant religious
  and political freedom to all

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Timeline

• 1654-Peter Stuyvest asked to not let the first
  Jews into New Amsterdam, but the Dutch West India
  Company responded that Jews were allowed in
• 1661-Kig Charles II gives privileges of
  Englishmen to all settlers in Jamaica, including
  Jews
• 1664-England takes over New Amsterdam renaming it
  New York guaranteed freedom to all inhabitants
• Jews guaranteed freedom to worship
• 1665-Rhode Island gives right to vote to Jews
• 1674-Duke of York grants full religious freedom
• 1689-England accepted Toleration Act allowed more
  rights for Jew in New York
• 1730-200 Jews in New York built first synagogue
  and school-Shearith Israel
• 1774-Francis Salvador first Jew elected to
  General Assembly of South Carolina

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Terms to know
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1st 5 terms

• Sephardic-A group of Jews from Spain and Portugal
  that were kicked out in 1492 and went mostly to
  North Africa, the Balkans, Western Europe, and
  elsewhere they are diverse culturally from
  Ashkenazi
• Ashkenazi-Jews from central and eastern Europe
  that vary greatly from the Sephardic Jewsin
  liturgy, religious customs, and how they
  pronounce Hebrew
• Diaspora-After Babylonia took Palestine captive
  the Jews were dispersed around the world
• Assimilate-The process of adopting new customs
  and blending into another culture
• Inquisition-The purpose of inquisitions is to get
  rid of non-believers of a religion or of a
  nation, it can be lead by either civil or church
  authorities. The Spanish Inquisition that took
  place in 1492 was the most deadly Inquisition and
  many Jews were massacred

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2nd 5 terms

• Amalgam-a blend or combination
• Conversos-hidden Jews who converted during
  Inquisition but really secretly practiced Judaism
• New Christians-Jews and their descendants who
  were forced to convert during Inquisition
• Ant-semetic-a person who discriminates against or
  is prejudice or hostile towards Jews
• Burgher-an inhabitant of a town, esp. a member of
  the middle class

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3rd 5 terms
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People
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Lieutenant-colonel Solomon Bush

• Highest ranking Jewish official in Continental
  army
• Born-October 13, 1753 to Mathias Bush and Tabitha
  Mears
• 1776-Joined Pennsylvania militia
• 1777-Appointed Deputy Adjutant General
• Picked up enough medical training in combat that
  people referred to him as Dr. Bush

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Haym Salamon

• Lived from 1747-1785
• Polish Jew that migrated to Pennsylvania
• Wealthy merchant and auctioneer
• Helped finance the revolution
• Spy for America in British-held New York
• He was arrested and then escaped fled to
  Philadelphia
• When Continental Congress met he helped house and
  support many member
• Helped negotiate aid from France and holland

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Luiz Gomez

• Spanish Jew fist to purchase land in America
• Fled to France during Inquisition
• Received papers of denization-right of citizen
• Purchased land 5 miles north of Newburgh, New
  York
• Jews werent allowed to purchase land in Europe
• Built a stone house on lot that served as
  seasonal trading post

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J. Simon

• Frontiersman and trader
• Owned a lot of land in Pennsylvania
• Paid for western expedition by Daniel Boone
• Partners with William Henry who developed the
  Henry frontier rifle

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• What was the original name of New York when it
  was under Dutch rule?
• New Amsterdam
• York
• Holland
• What areas did most Jews flee to during Spanish
  Inquisition?
• South Africa, Sweden, Finland
• North Africa, Turkey, Poland, Protestant Europe
• South Africa and India
• Which 3 groups did Peter Stuyvesant the governor
  of Netherlands want to expel?
• Jew, Lutherans, Muslims
• Muslims, Catholics, and Quakers
• Jews, Lutherans, and Quakers
• Where was the first migration of Jews from?
• Sephardic Jews from Brazil
• Jews from England
• Jews from Russia
• Why did this group migrate?
• England attacked by Portuguese
• Brazil taken over by Portuguese

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Answers

1. A) New Amsterdam
2. B) North Africa, Turkey, Poland, Protestant
   Europe
3. C) Jews, Lutherans, and Quakers
4. A) Sephardic Jews from Brazil
5. B) Brazil taken over by Portugeus

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• 6) When and why did New Amsterdam become New
  York?
• Spanish took over in 1665
• French took over in 1665
• English took over in 1665
• 7) What rights were Jews guaranteed by the
  English and what rights did they gain?
• Right to vote
• Religious tolerance
• Right to hold public office
• 8) What were major country(ies) that expelled
  Jews and what years?
• England-1290
• France-1394
• Spain-1492
• All of the above
• 9) When were civil rights granted to Jews by
  Stuyvest?
• 1657
• 1700
• 1750
• 10) Who was Haym Solomon
• Jewish merchant who financed revolution

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Answers

• 6) C) English took over in 1665
• 7) B) Religious tolerance
• 8) D) All of the above
• 9) A) 1657
• 10) D)All of the above

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• Who took over Brazil from the Dutch, and what did
  they do to the previous inhabitants?
• Spain
• Portuguese
• Germany
• What company ordered Governor Peter Stuyvesant to
  permit the Jewish refugees from Recife, Brazil to
  settle permanently in New Netherland?
• British East India Company
• Dutch West India Company
• What did Governor Peter Stuyvesant decree that
  Jew of New Netherland had in 1657?
• Civic rights
• Right to vote
• Right to hold public office
• Which of the following gave political rights to
  Jews
• Massachusetts
• Connecticut
• New York
• Who founded Rhode Island that gave Jews and
  Catholics that right to hold public office?
• Roger Williams
• George Dinwiddie
• William Penn

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Answers

1. B) Portuguese
2. B) Dutch West India Company
3. A) Civil Rights
4. C) New York
5. A) Roger Williams

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• What groups did most Jewish merchants deal with?
• Unitarian and Anglican
• Quaker and Spaniards
• West Indies, Britain, Holland, Spain, and
  Portugal
• Who are conversos?
• People who convert to Judaism
• Hidden Jews converted during Inquisition
• A group of antis emetics
• What did the Toleration Acts of 1689 lead to in
  New York
• More rights for Jews
• Less rights for Jews
• Increase in anti-Semitic behaviors
• As of 1674 what were the Jews not able to do
• Be merchants
• Build synagogues
• Freedom to worship (in homes)
• Which side of the Revolution did most Jews
  support?
• The colonies
• England

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Answers

• 6) C) West Indies, Britain, Holland, Spain, and
  Portugal
• 7) B) Hidden Jews converted during Inquisition
• 8) A) More rights for Jews
• 9) B) Build synagogues
• 10) A) the colonies