Jews, Slaves, And: The Slave Trade: Setting The ...

However, the "Setting the Record Straight" aspect of this history involves acknowledging that Jews did participate in the trade, particularly as merchants and middlemen in specific port cities. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Sephardic Jewish communities—descendants of those expelled from Spain and Portugal—established a "Western Sephardic Frontier." They settled in hubs like Amsterdam, London, Newport, Curacao, and Suriname. In these locations, Jewish merchants often focused on international trade. Because the colonial economy was inextricably linked to slave labor, any merchant involved in shipping sugar, tobacco, or cocoa was indirectly or directly involved with the institution of slavery.

The myth of "Jewish dominance" in the slave trade gained traction in the late 20th century, largely fueled by the publication of "The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews" by the Nation of Islam. This book used historical fragments to argue that Jews were the primary drivers of the Atlantic slave trade. Academic historians, such as Eli Faber and Saul Friedman, responded with exhaustive research that debunked these claims. Faber’s analysis of British colonial records showed that Jewish investment in slave-trading companies was minimal—often less than 1% of the total capital. While individual Jews were certainly slaveholders and occasional ship owners, the narrative of "Jewish control" is a fabrication that ignores the overwhelming dominance of Christian monarchs and multinational corporations. Jews, Slaves, and the Slave Trade: Setting the ...

Ultimately, setting the record straight means embracing a nuanced truth. Jews were a displaced people, often seeking economic security in a world that restricted their rights. In their quest for survival and success, they integrated into the existing economic fabric of the Atlantic world, which was built on the backs of enslaved Africans. They were participants in a tragedy of global proportions, but they were not its architects. Recognizing this allows for a history that is both honest about Jewish participation and firm in its rejection of antisemitic tropes, providing a clearer view of how the Atlantic world functioned as a whole. However, the "Setting the Record Straight" aspect of