INTRODUCTION PART I. =THE SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE PERIOD.= CHAPTER I. THE PARTICIPATION OF JEWS IN THE DISCOVERY OF THE NEW WORLD. The Jew of Barcelona who has navigated the whole known world―― Judah Cresques, “the Map Jew,” as director of the Academy of Navigation which was founded by Prince Henry the Navigator―― One Jewish astronomer advises the King of Portugal to reject the plans of Columbus――Zacuto as one of the first influential men in Spain to encourage the discoverer of the New World―― Abravanel, Senior and the Marranos Santangel and Sanchez who assisted Columbus――The voyage of discovery begun a day after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain――Luis de Torres and other Jews who went with Columbus――America discovered on “Hosannah Rabbah”――The Indians as the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel――Money taken from the Jews to defray the expenditure of the second voyage of Columbus――Vasco da Gama and the Jew Gaspar――Scrolls of the Thorah from Portugal sold in Cochin――Alphonse d’Albuquerque’s interpreter who returned to Judaism. CHAPTER II. EARLY JEWISH MARTYRS UNDER SPANISH RULE IN THE NEW WORLD. Children torn from their parents were the first Jewish immigrants――Jewish history in the New World begins, as Jewish history in Spain ends, with the Inquisition――Emperor Charles V., Philip II. and Philip III.――Lutherans persecuted together with Jews and Mohamedans――Codification of the laws of the Inquisition, and its special edicts for the New World. CHAPTER III. VICTIMS OF THE INQUISITION IN MEXICO AND IN PERU. Impossibility of obtaining even approximately correct figures about the Inquisition――A few typical cases――The Carabajal family――Relaxation for several decades――The notable case of Francisco Maldonado de Silva. CHAPTER IV. MARRANOS IN THE PORTUGUESE COLONIES. Less persecution in Portugal itself and also in its colonies―― Marranos buy right to emigrate――They dare to profess Judaism in Brazil, and the Inquisition is introduced in Goa――Alleged help given to Holland in its struggle against Spain. PART II. =THE DUTCH AND ENGLISH COLONIAL PERIOD.= CHAPTER V. THE SHORT-LIVED DOMINION OF THE DUTCH OVER BRAZIL. The friendship between the Dutch and the Jews――Restrictions and privileges in Holland――Dutch-Jewish distributors of Indian spices――Preparations to introduce the Inquisition in Brazil―― Jews help the Dutch to conquer it――Southey’s description of Recife――Vieyra’s description. CHAPTER VI. RECIFE: THE FIRST JEWISH COMMUNITY IN THE NEW WORLD.