New Christians' and Amsterdam Jews' Atlantic Networks

What is it about?

This chapter is part of a larger picture of New Christians’ and Amsterdam Jews’ involvement in the build-up of the Atlantic World. This was reflected mainly in their contribution to trade, investments and culture of colonial Latin America in the 16th–17th centuries. These two disctinct groups of formerly Portuguese Jews formed what the historians call La Nação. They entered the World economic arena at different times: New Christians (i.e. Jews subjected to forced Christianisation) from the end of the 16th century, and the Amsterdam Jews (former New Christians) at the treshold of the 17th century. The first faced not only the new promising environment but also were confronted by the Iberian Inquisition. They finally disappeared at the end of the 18th century. The second, acting as a part of the expanding Dutch society and economy, shielded by the law and sword of the Republic, survived, paritcipating in 17th and 18th centuries in large-scale economic experiments in the Dutch Brazil, Suriname and the expanding trade of the Caribbean.

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Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Why is it important?

New Christians, dispersed around the world, engaged mainly in ttrade and financial operations, appeared in Brazil also as important investors and owners of the slave sugar plantations. Persecuted by the Inqusition, they at the same time tried to find for themselves a save place and decent living by facilitating the (mainly) Atlantic commerce. A substantial, albeit controversial, part of their endeavours, was their involvement in the initial rise of the slave trade and societies in the Iberian New World until mid-17th century. No doubt, both as private small and medium-sized investors and as important holders of the Spanish Crown slave asiento from the end of the 16th to the mid-17th century they played a crucial role. They were indispensable in this human trafficing and the trade networks they created already in the first half of the 16th century only accentuated their unique role. At the same time, they paved the road for the more powerful players. From the mid-17th century, when the Atlantic slave trade entered the boom time, the place of New Christians (and to lesser extent of Amsterdam Jews) was taken over by Englishmen, Portuguese (gentiles), French and the Dutch.