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The Same but Different? ii-xii_ROITMAN_F1.indd-xii_ROITMAN_F1.indd i 112/15/20102/15/2010 112:42:202:42:20 PMPM Brill’s Series in Jewish Studies General Editor David S. Katz (Tel-Aviv University) VOLUME 42 ii-xii_ROITMAN_F1.indd-xii_ROITMAN_F1.indd iiii 112/15/20102/15/2010 112:42:212:42:21 PMPM The Same but Different? Inter-cultural Trade and the Sephardim, 1595–1640 by Jessica Vance Roitman LEIDEN • BOSTON 2011 ii-xii_ROITMAN_F1.indd-xii_ROITMAN_F1.indd iiiiii 112/15/20102/15/2010 112:42:212:42:21 PMPM This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Roitman, J. ( Jessica V.). The same but different? : inter-cultural trade and the Sephardim, 1595–1640 / by Jessica Vance Roitman. p. cm. — (Brill’s series in Jewish studies ; v. 42) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-90-04-20276-4 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Jews—Netherlands— Amsterdam—History—16th century. 2. Jews—Netherlands—Amsterdam— History—17th century. 3. Sephardim—Netherlands—Amsterdam—Economic conditions—16th century. 4. Sephardim—Netherlands—Amsterdam—Economic conditions—17th century. 5. Europe—Commerce—History—16th century. 6. Europe—Commerce—History—17th century. 7. Amsterdam (Netherlands)— Ethnic relations. I. Title. DS135.N5A598 2011 381.089’9240492352—dc22 2010050339 ISSN 0926-2261 ISBN 978 90 04 20276 4 Copyright 2011 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. ii-xii_ROITMAN_F1.indd-xii_ROITMAN_F1.indd iviv 112/15/20102/15/2010 112:42:212:42:21 PMPM CONTENTS Acknowledgments ....................................................................... ix Introduction ................................................................................ 1 Chapter One Inter-culturality and the Sephardim ................. 31 The New Christians and the Amsterdam Sephardim— From Jews to Ethnic Group ............................................... 32 Manoel Rodrigues Vega ..................................................... 40 Manoel Carvalho ................................................................ 43 Bento Osorio ....................................................................... 47 Chapter Two Diaspora, Migration, and the Foundations of Inter-cultural Trade ................................................................ 63 Theories of Diasporas ............................................................ 64 The Disparate Strands of Diaspora ....................................... 70 Expulsion, Conversion and Inquisition .................................. 72 The “Oriental” Diaspora: The Ottoman Domains and North Africa ........................................................................ 74 North Africa ........................................................................ 79 The “Occidental” Diaspora ................................................... 81 North-Western Europe ....................................................... 82 “The Low Countries”—Antwerp and Amsterdam ....... 82 France .................................................................................. 85 The German Territories ..................................................... 89 The Italian City States ....................................................... 90 Spain ................................................................................... 93 England ............................................................................... 95 The Portuguese Overseas Territories ................................. 96 West Africa .......................................................................... 97 Angola ............................................................................. 97 Cabo Verde, São Tomé, and the Guinea Rivers ............... 99 Brazil ................................................................................... 102 Goa ...................................................................................... 106 ii-xii_ROITMAN_F1.indd-xii_ROITMAN_F1.indd v 112/15/20102/15/2010 112:42:212:42:21 PMPM vi contents Chapter Three Merchants at Work: Opportunity, Integration, and Innovation ........................................................................ 111 Merchants and Their Milieu .................................................... 113 Manoel Rodrigues Vega ..................................................... 114 Manoel Carvalho ................................................................ 116 Bento Osorio ....................................................................... 117 Integrative Merchants ............................................................. 118 Manoel Rodrigues Vega ..................................................... 119 Manoel Carvalho ................................................................ 123 Bento Osorio ....................................................................... 126 Innovative Merchants ............................................................. 129 Manoel Rodrigues Vega ..................................................... 129 Manoel Carvalho ................................................................ 136 Bento Osorio ....................................................................... 138 Conclusion .............................................................................. 141 Chapter Four Networks in Action ........................................... 145 Network Terminology ............................................................. 145 Amsterdam .............................................................................. 147 Rodrigues Vega, Carvalho, and Osorio as Amsterdam Merchants ........................................................................ 151 The Composition of Networks .............................................. 154 Networks in Action ................................................................. 156 Manoel Rodrigues Vega and Cornelis Snellinck ............... 156 Manoel Carvalho and Albert Schuyt ................................. 162 Bento Osorio, Claes Cornelisz Jut, and Dirck Thomasz. Glimmer .......................................................................... 165 Conclusion .............................................................................. 168 Chapter Five The Importance of the Occasional .................. 171 Acting on Each Other’s Behalf .............................................. 172 Manoel Rodrigues Vega ..................................................... 172 Manoel Carvalho ................................................................ 174 Bento Osorio ....................................................................... 177 Conclusion .......................................................................... 178 Shared Ownership and Trade ................................................ 179 Manoel Rodrigues Vega ..................................................... 180 Manoel Carvalho ................................................................ 187 Bento Osorio ....................................................................... 191 Conclusion .......................................................................... 197 ii-xii_ROITMAN_F1.indd-xii_ROITMAN_F1.indd vivi 112/15/20102/15/2010 112:42:212:42:21 PMPM contents vii Insurance ................................................................................. 199 Manoel Rodrigues Vega ..................................................... 203 Manoel Carvalho ................................................................ 206 Bento Osorio ....................................................................... 208 Conclusion .......................................................................... 211 Credit ...................................................................................... 212 Manoel Rodrigues Vega ..................................................... 213 Manoel Carvalho ................................................................ 215 Bento Osorio ....................................................................... 215 Conclusion .............................................................................. 217 Chapter Six The 1602 Sugar Confiscation—A Case Study in Inter-cultural Lobbying and Influence ................................... 221 Lobbying and Interest Groups in the Seventeenth Century ... 224 The Governmental Context ................................................... 226 The Sugar Confiscation of 1602 ........................................... 228 Conclusion .............................................................................. 242 Chapter Seven The Same but Different ................................. 245 Manoel Rodrigues Vega: A Case Study in Inter-cultural Trade and Identity .............................................................. 247 Manoel Carvalho: An Example of Integration ..................... 251 Osorio: A Loner? .................................................................... 255