The Jewish Slave Trade
"The principal purchasers of slaves were found among the Jews… [T]hey seemed to be always and everywhere at hand to buy, and to have the means equally ready to pay." - Lady Magnus , Outlines of Jewish History This article sets to outline the Jewish involvement in the slave trade and slave ownership, particularly in the United States of America. The Spanish Jews accumulated substantial wealth through their dealings in Christian slaves and attained significant prominence within Spain's social and political order. [1] "The golden age of Jewry in Spain owed some of its wealth to an international network of Jewish slave traders. Bohemian Jews purchased Slavonians and sold to Spanish Jews for resale to the Moors." [1] The rapid growth of the slave trade, involving both Africans and Indians, saw the involvement of some Jews acting as agents for the royal families of Spain and Portugal. [2] "With the spread of sugar, cotton, cocoa, and other plantations the ...