Jews of The Caribbean Basin: 1450-1850

The story of the wandering Jew is played out again in the New World. Spanish and Portugal Royalty both had the church pushing them to rid their countries of Jews. The Monarchs did not need much of a push. They immediately issued a decree to have all the Jews leave or convert. The Jews were not only shopkeepers and merchants, they were also doctors, lawyers, and bankers. Being the wealthiest and most educated part of the population were the primary reasons they were hated by the crown. Greed and envy from the crown forced the Jewish population to move to Holland, England, France, and other European countries that, at the time, did not have an issue with Jews. In 1492, Columbus was getting ready to sail to the East. In fact, Jews helped finance the sailing. A Jew was the navigator of Columbus' ships. In turn, the Jewish navigator was the first European to set foot in the New World. Columbus landed in the Caribbean, thus started the entry of Jews to The Caribbean Basin. Those Jews led to the history of the Jewish presence in The Caribbean Basin.