Source: Jewish Reference Book: B'nai B'rith Manual
Edited by Samuel S. Cohon
Cincinnati, Ohio
1926 pp. 248-250
THE JEW IN AMERICA BY SAMUEL S. COHON The Jewish Role in the Discovery of America — While many Jews are recent immigrants, the Jew is no new arrival in this country. In point of length of residence and of service, he is the equal of any white man on this continent. That he played an important role in the discovery of America is a matter of history.
In recent years, the conviction has grown in the minds of scholars that Columbus' blood was partly Jewish. His mother, so it is alleged, came of a well-known Jewish family — the Ponte Rossi. And "Collom," which is the real name of Columbus, was that of an Italian Jewish family. As it was not safe in those days, in Spain, to be known as Jew, he called himself a "Genoese navigator." Though his origin is still a mooted question, it is pretty certain that he associated with Jews and was the recipient of their aid in his great work. When he failed to induce Ferdinand and Isabella to assist him in his undertaking, he turned to the Marrano, Louis de Santangel, the chan-celor of Aragon, for assistance. Together with his relative, Gabriel Sanchez, the royal treasurer, and his friend, Juan Cabrero, the royal chamberlain, also of Jewish blood, Santangel entered energetically into the plans of Columbus. He showed the queen the advantages to the crown and'to Spain of the discovery of a short route to India; the immortal fame and the limitless wealth that would be theirs.
Inspired by this glamor, the queen consented to pawn her jewels in order to raise sufficient funds for the expedition but she did not have to go that far. Santangel modestly requested to be permitted to advance the needed money out of his private treasury and accordingly advanced, without interest, 1,700 ducats (which is equivalent to $160,000 in our money). In view of these facts, Prof. Herbert B. Adams appropriately coined the fine epigram: "Not Jewels, but Jews were the real financial basis for the first expedition of Columbus."
Santangel's zeal was prompted, not only by his high-mindedness, but also by his Jewish loyalty. Two of his uncles were burnt by the Inquisition because of their Judaism and he himself, as may be well imagined, suffered greatly because of the mask of Catholicism which he was forced to wear. The condition of the Jews of Spain was near-ing its highest point of misery. Ferdinand and Isabella were preparing to expel all the Jews from their provinces. On August 2, 1492, about 300,000 Jews who refused to become Christians left Spain; and on the following day, Columbus, with the aid of Santangel, set sail in search of what turned out to be a haven of rest for the wandering Jews as for all the persecuted.
Columbus took with him the astronomical charts and instruments prepared by Abraham Zacuto, a Jewish professor at Salamanka. These were of incalculable service to the navigator and, on one occasion, saved the lives of the whole company. At least five members of the expedition, including the surgeon, Marco, the ship's doctor, Bernal, and the interpreter, Louis Torres, were Jews. Torres was the first European to tread on American soil and also the first to discover the use of tobacco. He won the good-will of a Cuban chief and received from him large grants of land and many slaves as presents. Columbus' recognition of his indebtedness to the Jews is shown also by the fact that the first detailed account of his discoveries was addressed to his Jewish patron, Louis de Santangel, and a similar letter was sent to Gabriel Sanchez.
Columbus' second expedition (1493) was again financed by Jewish funds. This time the money came not from the pocket of a rich Jewish patron, but out of the funds realized from the sale of the confiscated possessions of the Jews that were expelled from Spain.
Poster Comment:
Note: Scanned from the book by me. Alerts to any typos would be appreciated.
Is anyone else curious if this is still history that B'nai B'rith holds to?