History of the Jews in Colonial America

The history of the Jews in Colonial America begins upon their arrival as early as the 1650s. The first Jews that came to the New World were Sephardi Jews who arrived in New Amsterdam (New York City) . Later major settlements of Jews would occur in the port cities: Newport, Philadelphia, Charleston, and Savannah.

The Jewish settlers faced a milder form of the discrimination imposed on Catholics, Lutherans and Quakers. Nevertheless they played a major role in the trading business of the colonies.