by Laura Dunkley

Created on: February 14, 2009

Religion has been a part of the Caribbean since Columbus set foot on Watling's Island in 1492 and claimed the area for Spain. On subsequent trips, other islands were claimed for Spain and considering that Spain was a Roman Catholic country, this was the first religion established in the settlements on Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico. Many churches built by the Spaniards are still standing. Speaking of old houses of worship, one of the oldest synagogues in the New World is in Curacao. The arrival of Columbus in the New World also marked the beginning of what was known as the Second Diaspora where Jews were expelled from Spain and settled throughout the world. Jews were drawn to the New World because they saw it as a way to escape the persecution they were subject to in Spain. Many Jews resettled in Brazil but the Portuguese were no better than the Spaniards. The more tolerant Dutch captured northern Brazil and allowed the Jews to openly practice their faith. In 1664, the Portuguese expelled Jews not willing to profess being a Catholic and provided 16 ships to remove them. Some of the expelled Jews went to Holland, some to New Amsterdam and some settled in Suriname, Curacao, Martinique, Barbados and Jamaica. The expelled Jews had been planters, merchants, lawyers, doctors.

Suriname was originally a British colony and because the English could not find enough people to settle the territory, Britain offered full citizenship to any Jew willing to settle in the territory as well as observance of their Sabbath and ten acres to build a synagogue.. This was done because the Brits viewed the Jews as being industrious, good businessmen and model citizens. This also happened around the time that the Portuguese were expelling the Jews from Brazil. When the territory passed to the Dutch in 1667, many Jews preferred to leave for other British colonies in order to maintain their British citizenship. The Dutch however were the most tolerant of the European powers and the Jews were allowed to trade without impediment contributing to the success of the Dutch West India Company.

The English who arrived in the colonies, especially the wealthy were likely to be Anglican. Much of the plantocracy were second and third sons of the the aristocracy who were unlikely to inherit the titles of their fathers. In the British colonies, Anglicanism was the official religion and was practiced by the colonists. Similar situations would exist on the Dutch, French and Spanish colonies. The

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