The history of the Jews in Jamaica predominantly dates back to migrants from Spain and Portugal. Starting in 1309, many Jews began fleeing from Spain because of the persecution of the Holy Inquisition. When the English captured Jamaica from Spain in 1655, the Jews who were living as conversos began to practice Judaism openly. By 1611, the Island of Jamaica had reached an estimated population of 1,500 people. An estimated 75 of those people were described as "foreigners," which may have included some Portuguese Jews. Still, many Jews faced persecution from English merchants. History on Jews The first Jews came to the island during the Spanish occupation of the Island, 1494–1655. They came from Spain and Portugal, having fled the Spanish Inquisition. During the Spanish Inquisition, the Spanish government required the Jews to leave the country or convert to Catholicism. The punishment for disobedience was death. To conceal their identity they referred to themselves as "Portuguese" or "Spanish" and practiced their religion secretly. At the time of the British conquest of the island in 1655, General Robert Venables recorded the presence of many "Portuguese" in Jamaica. Details pertaining to how many times or any of these Portuguese were Jews or New Christians is unknown. Also, it is unclear how many of these possible New Christians converted to Judaism. The Portuguese on the island were often persecuted by the Spanish and so many helped the English with their invasion. The Jews were allowed to remain after the conquest and began to practice their religion openly. They were granted British citizenship by Oliver Cromwell, which was confirmed in 1660 by King Charles II of England. For many Jews, Jamaica became a safe place they could live in without fear of persecution. Jews from Amsterdam, Bordeaux, and Bayonne moved to Jamaica, mostly residing in Port Royal. Port Royal even had what was called a Jew Street. Abraham Blauvelt was a Dutch-Jewish pirate, privateer, and explorer of Central America and the western Caribbean, after whom the towns of Bluefields, Nicaragua, and Bluefields, Jamaica, were both named. In 1719, the synagogue Kahal Kadosh Neve Tsedek was built. It was originally planned to turn Jamaica into an agricultural powerhouse, but this plan failed. However, for local merchants, Port Royal became a successful center for trade. Port Royal became an attractive place to trade commodities such as gold, silver, porcelain, embroidery, and silk. The Jews participated as