1492 Expulsion from Spain

Spain 1492

The Alhambra Decree, otherwise known as the Edict of Expulsion, was an edict issued by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain on March 31, 1492. The edict ordered all Jews to leave their Spanish territories by July 31, 1492 (Tisha Be’av). The primary purpose of the expulsion was to eliminate the influence of practicing Jews on Spain’s large converso population. Conversos were Jews who converted to Christianity. Over half of Spain’s population had converted to Christianity as a result of the pogroms and religious persecutions of 1391. By the time of the expulsion, some 200,000 Jews had already converted. Around 50,000 more converted after The Alhambra Decree to avoid being expelled. Many of them practiced Judaism in secret and were called ‘Marranos’ (pigs) by other Christians and were actively monitored and pursued by the Inquisition. Many Jews who were found to be practicing in secret were declared heretics, tortured by the Inquisition, and then publicly burned at the stake at a ceremony called an ‘Auto-de-fe’.

Many Jews that chose to leave Spain took refuge in neighboring Portugal. However, King Manuel of Portugal was negotiating for the hand of Ferdinand and Isabella’s oldest daughter, Isabella of Aragon, who was the future heiress of the Spanish monarchy. Ferdinand and Isabella demanded that King Manuel also expel the Jews as a pre-condition to marriage. On December 5, 1946 King Manuel decreed that all Jews be expelled from Portugal. Reluctant to lose his affluent and accomplished Jewish citizens, King Manual instead forced thousands of Jews to convert to Christianity or be burnt at the stake. Rabbi Simon Maimi, the chief Rabbi of Segovia, found refuge in Portugal but refused to convert. He was buried in earth for 7 days up to his neck until he died.

Spanish Jewish Refugees

After the expulsion, thousands of Jewish refugees died on the road while trying to reach safety. There were numerous instances of ship captains charging exorbitant sums for passage, then dumping their Jewish passengers overboard in the middle of the ocean. Other captains tore the bellies of the Jewish passengers, looking for gold coins. It is estimated that 150,000-200,00 Jews left Spain. Jews that were lucky enough to reach Turkey were welcomed by Sultan Bajazet. Many other refugees migrated to Italy, Greece, France, Holland, Northern Africa, England, the Balkans and Israel where they joined existing Jewish communities or created new ones. The first Jews to arrive in Colonial America were Dutch Sephardic Jews from Holland that arrived in 1650.