In Portugal, Jews are allowed a 20 year grace period, so the Marrano movement becomes entrenched. 

Likewise, they're much more ok with letting Jews leave instead of convert; so lots of Jews go (and are welcomed into) Muslim countries. 
Others go to Catholic territories where the Inquisition is less strong (as Marranos)

few go to the Americas, because the Spanish control there and the Inquisition does a good job at keeping Jews out. 

for a period of 25 years it was conquered by the Dutch; a lot of Marranos come out, and a lot of Jews move in, attracted by economic opportunities and fleeing from persecution (Khmelnytsky Uprising)

- in 1654 it goes back to the Portuguese; Jews have a grace period during which to leave and many go to Europe, the Caribbean, or even New Amsterdam.

After the expulsion from Brazil, 23 Jews go to NA and Stuyvesant tries to kick them out - appeals to west idies company: wanted a homogenous community (didn't like foreigners/catholics, either.)

the Jews of Portugal in the Netherlands write a letter to the west indies co:

- Jews will be good functionally for NA (merchants) - they are loyal to the mother country

- and Jews are shareholders! this isn't actually all that true, Jews didn't hold that much stock in the company (although various antisemites thought they did) 

note: taking a risk by mentioning their OWN rights to go to NA, not specifically the 23 already there

Finkelman on pre-23 Jews in NA

there were three Jews who came before the 23 and had problems because they weren't allowed to participate in retail trade.

- Asher Levy, specifically, fought very hard to be allowed in the military vs. the swedish

- he won, eventually, but by then almost all the jews had left because of the hard economic climate.

Jews, blacks, and women need to be emancipated, and because they need to be emancipated they can never truly be free (their rights are always given to them by others, not automatic)

- but in America, Jews START OUT with right and therefore have true emancipation!

- a blanket freedom of religion is offered that doesn't specifically refer to Jews

- Sheerith Israel is mentioned on maps without comment

Jews do well because it's a usefulness-focused society; cares less about who you are then what you do, so Jews do well in NA which is a trade/port city

also, NA is a city of many churches - it's not homogenous! Jews do well in heterogeneous societies, because they don't stick out as much.

1737: someone wants electoral recount because Jews voted; it's concluded that Jews can't vote.

in 1760, it's declared that all white male landowners can vote. strong evidence that jews voted even in the interim, though.

- not in any puritan colonies, which were ecclesiastically midieval and wanted very homogenous societies

- nor in Maryland or Virginia. In MD you could be executed for questioning Trinitarianism (although these laws were aimed and Unitarians, not Jews.) 

both of these colonies were rural, too, so not many Jews would have gone there anyway.

Jews WERE allowed in Rhode Island, which welcomed Jews, Catholics, and Turks in the hopes that they would be converted (philosemitism)

they also moved the Georgia, which was a penal colony and was chill with jews; also the carolinas - basically anywhere with cities.

it would make sense for the Jews to support the british from a cultural/historical point of view - after all, the british took good care of them, gave them rights, etc.

-- on the other hand, Jews are members of the merchant class, so it would make sense for them to support the Americans on that basis.

as it happens, the british took over NY, so the choice was auto-made for all but the most patriotic, who fled to Philadelphia; Jews were heavily involved in [sponsoring] the American revolution - a rep from Sheerit Israel was present for Washington's inauguration!

1. Jews look, talk, and act like everyone else - they're indistinguishable, invisible

2. if they aren't invisible, they're generally percieved as useful - and in a heterogeneous society, people value their usefulness

Solomon Peterson: moves to America and leaves it all behind - marries a christian woman and leaves the community

Asser and Miriam Levy - stay under the british, not in a jewish community but are religious

Peter Kalm describes jews who eat nonkosher while travelling on business but keep all the laws while at home

the Franks family were big in NYC and supported Sheerit Yisrael; the parents were religious. a daughter married a gentile and moved to britain; a son married a gentile and stayed at least somewhat connected to the jewish community.

basically, they end up flipflopping a lot, particularly re: prominant Jews who want to stay involved, be buried in the jewish cemetary, etc.

- start up committees to inspect houses and schools; these aren't really mandatory, but you more or less have to submit to them to stay in good standing.

basically depends on the belief that jews need to see the light of christianity AND return to Palestine for the Christian messianic era to occur.

American Society for Colonizing and Evangelizing the Jews (to get jewish-->christian converts to come over and to convert more in america) 

- funding is REJECTED by state legislature!

they make a comeback as the American Society for Ameliorating the Conditions of the Jews, though

--> Samuel Jackson writes against this

takes offense to the word "amelioration" as used by The American Society for Ameliorating the Conditions of the Jews

- he says it's an insult to suggest that Jews don't take care of their own poor

- this is pretty much just a front, though, because amelioration refers to spirituality and everyone knows it. they aren't very successful at converting jews, but he still responds because:

- cares about every jewish soul

- it's antisemetic! even though it's "benevolent" antisemitism

- not responding looks weak

- it's a threat to emancipation

1818 - appointed by Pres. Monroe as an ambassador to Tunis; returns because of antisemitism and becomes a sheriff; big political figure; wants to establish a colony called Arrarat in upstate new york for German Jews to come to (thier emancipation isn't going so well.)

- ultimately fails to get off the ground, but was in communication with important Jewish leaders in Germany who believed in emancipation by emphasizing Jews' important contributions to society

- presents Arrarat as being (a) safe for jews and (b) a stepping stone towards ultimately living in Palestine

- this shows that he was both comfortable with his emancipation in the USA and also a proto-zionist - he wasn't afraid to have a dual identity!

he also tries to unite christian and jewish priorities - they want us in palestine for messianic reasons; we want to be in palestine; we would be a "european, civilized" group that would support european interests

German-Jewish immigration period (Germans also came post WWI but it was mostly eastern europeans at that point)

- jewish population in NYC jumps IMMENSELY here

- most Jews live south of wall st, although the cemetary was north of that

- at first, the vast majority of the jews live on the lower east side, south of 14th st (dividing line between affluent and non-affluent)

- but as time goes on, jews become more affluent and move north - like to harlem, around 125th st

nothern border: 14th st - this is for affluent people

western border: the bowery - this is where the irish live at this time period (although it later goes to the italians)

- during the French revolution, Jews are deemed useful members of society and emancipated. After the french win vs. russia, german states realize they have to start modernizing to compete, and so they, too, emancipate their jews.

- but around 1815, france is defeated and traditionalist, romanticist governments start making a comeback. all of a sudden you need to be more than a productive member of society - emancipation undergoes a reversal. 

rich city jews: often convert/downplay their judaism to see loyalist; they revise their history and emphasize their europeanness. 

poor country jews: emancipation doesn't really mean much; they never voted anyway, so conditions are uniformly miserable.

- generally, anyone making a fuss about loss of emancipation is upper class.

- therefore, upper class jews who are doing well economically come when they get fed up with it - but they come in a trickle. 

- note: mixed in the german jews are jews from polish regions (poland didn't exist then)

immigration becomes easier post 1850, when the steamship is invented - even kosher food is available! there's a lot of incentive to go to america and not a lot of incentive to stay.

- most german jews DON'T stay in nyc! they move west, becoming peddlers. 

- the ones who do stay are the religious ones, because that's where religious life is available. they're also largely peddlers.

peddlar in the midwest; three sons:

1. famous for dying on the Titanic

2. runs the business

3. holds a cabinet position under Teddy Rosevelt (first jew to do so!)