Jews in New Netherlands
STANESCU, Ana Maria
1st Year
Fall Semester 2013
Atlantic History – Mid Term Paper
6.11.2013
Jews in New Netherland and New Amsterdam
Jews in New Netherland:
An influential community fights against discrimination
History has taught us multiple times that Jews have struggled for centuries; they have been persecuted, unjustly accused of not committed crimes, expelled from countries and killed. The hatred against them started since the foundation of the Christianity and the time of new discoveries and conquests has not been an exception. In fact when the first Jews moved to the Americas, prejudices and hostilities followed them from Europe. The only factor that made their existence accepted to a certain extent is their financial power and influence on the world economy. When the Dutch started colonizing the Americas Jews were already an integral an economically influential part of the Netherlands and its large corporations, which were devoting their attention to mercantile colonization. Once the Dutch obtained part of Brazil from the Portuguese and formed New Netherland on the eastern coast of North America Jews followed the settlers. They were certainly not welcomed warmly but they played an important economic role in both colonies. By then Jews have been for centuries investors of those same large corporations that were colonizing the Americas, therefore despite the innate disdain towards Jews, these were always enjoying different forms of privileges and protection.
In order to explain and demonstrate this statement of mine I will answer the following question: “To what extent was the role played by the Jews in New Netherland connected and influenced by their counterparts associated with the West India Company in Amsterdam?” The query will be answered by analyzing the different steps and aspects of Jewish life in the Dutch colony with a regard to the game changer role played every time by the influence Jews had on the West India Company. First, it will be
1st Year
Fall Semester 2013
Atlantic History – Mid Term Paper
6.11.2013
Jews in New Netherland and New Amsterdam
Jews in New Netherland:
An influential community fights against discrimination
History has taught us multiple times that Jews have struggled for centuries; they have been persecuted, unjustly accused of not committed crimes, expelled from countries and killed. The hatred against them started since the foundation of the Christianity and the time of new discoveries and conquests has not been an exception. In fact when the first Jews moved to the Americas, prejudices and hostilities followed them from Europe. The only factor that made their existence accepted to a certain extent is their financial power and influence on the world economy. When the Dutch started colonizing the Americas Jews were already an integral an economically influential part of the Netherlands and its large corporations, which were devoting their attention to mercantile colonization. Once the Dutch obtained part of Brazil from the Portuguese and formed New Netherland on the eastern coast of North America Jews followed the settlers. They were certainly not welcomed warmly but they played an important economic role in both colonies. By then Jews have been for centuries investors of those same large corporations that were colonizing the Americas, therefore despite the innate disdain towards Jews, these were always enjoying different forms of privileges and protection.
In order to explain and demonstrate this statement of mine I will answer the following question: “To what extent was the role played by the Jews in New Netherland connected and influenced by their counterparts associated with the West India Company in Amsterdam?” The query will be answered by analyzing the different steps and aspects of Jewish life in the Dutch colony with a regard to the game changer role played every time by the influence Jews had on the West India Company. First, it will be