La historia poco conocida de la exploración judía del Nuevo Mundo

Students should have some knowledge about the exploration of the New World from the time of the time of the explorations of Columbus through the Conquest of Mexico and Peru. They should have some basic knowledge about the role of the Inquisition in the New World as well as some of the battles between the rival empires of Spain, Portugal, Holland and England in the exploration and conquest of Ibero-America (the Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires).

This course will go through the history of the emigration of Jewish and secret Jewish settlers in the New World from the time of Columbus and the Conquest of Mexico and Peru through the Inquisition when it came to the New World and how the Jews and "conversos" (Jewish converts to Christianity) attempted to gain their rights and freedoms against the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisition and for the right to settle in the New World in the Dutch and English colonies. It will examine their role as explorers, traders, financiers, and backers of the fight of England and Holland against the Spanish Empire.

The first class will go through the time of exploration and how Jews were involved in preparing the maps that would be used by Columbus and others in their attempts to travel to Asia. It will also look at how Jews were involved in the Conquest with Cortes and other Conquistadores. The course will then explore how the Inquisition cut off the Jews and converts ("New Christians") from settling in Spanish and Portuguese colonies upon pain of death and torture.

The second part will discuss how these early Sephardim were active with Holland and then England in undercutting the power of Spain in the New World, in financing Holland and England's armies and navies, in providing intelligence, and in even becoming privateers and pirates raiding Spanish galleons. We will see how Jews were eventually given rights to settle in England and Holland and in New World areas like Jamaica and Curacao based upon their contributions to the Dutch and British Kings against the Spanish Empire