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

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.

In specific Caribbean colonies, such as Dutch Curacao or Suriname, Jewish involvement was more visible. In Curacao, Jewish merchants were active in the resale of enslaved people to the Spanish Main. In Suriname, Jewish planters owned significant sugar and coffee estates, and by the 18th century, they held a substantial portion of the colony's enslaved population. Even in these instances, however, Jewish slave ownership followed the prevailing laws and customs of the time. Jews did not invent the system, nor did they treat enslaved people in a manner fundamentally different from their non-Jewish counterparts. Jews, Slaves, and the Slave Trade: Setting the ...

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. However, the "Setting the Record Straight" aspect of