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The Spanish inquisition began in the 1470s so it makes sense he would hide his ethnicity. What's really interesting however, is how the same year Columbus sail

The Spanish inquisition began in the 1470s so it makes sense he would hide his ethnicity. What's really interesting however, is how the same year Columbus sailed the ocean blue, 1492, was when the Ottoman Empire accepted 60,000 Jewish refugees from Spain. Columbus must not have been very religious. It would've probably been a much smarter decision, in terms of self preservation, to move to the Ottoman Empire.

afavour 2y ago
> Columbus must not have been very religious. He was incredibly religious. In his Catholicism. If anything this is just proof that reading too deeply, and especially solely, into anyone’s DNA history is a mistake. Plenty of people have a background unrelated to their lives or the way they perceive themselves.
- lolinder 2y ago
  Agreed that it's important not to read too much into this about Columbus as a person, but if this is true there are plenty of interesting things to draw from it. It would suggest that he probably came from a family that converted to Catholicism (given the time period, probably under duress). Had his ancestors made a different choice Columbus himself may have been expelled from Spain shortly before he sailed on August 3.
  - netdevnet 2y ago
    is it so rare to think that maybe he did it himself rather it being passed down?
- someotherperson 2y ago
  It adds a wild irony to the story considering he's responsible for the expansion of the Spanish and introduced Catholicism to an entire continent. Someone who was punished by the Spanish and forced to convert a generation or two ago turns into its champion and spreads it elsewhere?
  - ywvcbk 2y ago
    He and his son would have faced severe discrimination, wouldn’t even be allowed to hold public office and technically his descendants wouldn’t even emigrate to the Americans had it been publicly known that he was a descendant of Jewish converts (regardless of his religious views). Surely that’s something the Spanish Crown would have used in the courtroom, considering that his descendants were engaged in a ~20 year lawsuit against the crown (which they won)?
    - someotherperson 2y ago
      That's assuming he even knew he was ethnically Jewish. His strong Catholicism and choosing not to immigrate to the Ottoman empire indicates this family history was probably withheld from him.
- ywvcbk 2y ago
  > He was incredibly religious. In his Catholicism Possibly as a way to conceal his background? Of course that’s pure speculation and it wasn’t as bad yet until later in the the 1500s but Spain became an extremely racist society, people who couldn’t prove that they weren’t descendants of Jewish or Muslim converts were often barred from holding political office or even testify in court etc. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limpieza_de_sangre#:~:text=On%205%20November%201865%2C%20a,be%20admitted%20to%20college%20education https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limpieza_de_sangre#:~:text=O....
someotherperson 2y ago
The attacks began earlier[0] and many Jews began converting en masse. He might not have even known his parents or grandparents were Jewish. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_1391 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_1391
ywvcbk 2y ago
> r, is how the same year Columbus sailed the ocean blue, 1492, How could that be related in any way? Presumably his investors did hope he would return and be allowed to enter the country? > Columbus must not have been very religious He was. As far as we can tell he was a very devout Catholic. Even if he had some Jewish origin (e.g. his grand/great grandparents were converts) that must have been a closely concealed secret and certainly not something that was publicly known.

afavour 2y ago

> Columbus must not have been very religious. He was incredibly religious. In his Catholicism. If anything this is just proof that reading too deeply, and especially solely, into anyone’s DNA history is a mistake. Plenty of people have a background unrelated to their lives or the way they perceive themselves.

lolinder 2y ago
Agreed that it's important not to read too much into this about Columbus as a person, but if this is true there are plenty of interesting things to draw from it. It would suggest that he probably came from a family that converted to Catholicism (given the time period, probably under duress). Had his ancestors made a different choice Columbus himself may have been expelled from Spain shortly before he sailed on August 3.
- netdevnet 2y ago
  is it so rare to think that maybe he did it himself rather it being passed down?
someotherperson 2y ago
It adds a wild irony to the story considering he's responsible for the expansion of the Spanish and introduced Catholicism to an entire continent. Someone who was punished by the Spanish and forced to convert a generation or two ago turns into its champion and spreads it elsewhere?
- ywvcbk 2y ago
  He and his son would have faced severe discrimination, wouldn’t even be allowed to hold public office and technically his descendants wouldn’t even emigrate to the Americans had it been publicly known that he was a descendant of Jewish converts (regardless of his religious views). Surely that’s something the Spanish Crown would have used in the courtroom, considering that his descendants were engaged in a ~20 year lawsuit against the crown (which they won)?
  - someotherperson 2y ago
    That's assuming he even knew he was ethnically Jewish. His strong Catholicism and choosing not to immigrate to the Ottoman empire indicates this family history was probably withheld from him.
ywvcbk 2y ago
> He was incredibly religious. In his Catholicism Possibly as a way to conceal his background? Of course that’s pure speculation and it wasn’t as bad yet until later in the the 1500s but Spain became an extremely racist society, people who couldn’t prove that they weren’t descendants of Jewish or Muslim converts were often barred from holding political office or even testify in court etc. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limpieza_de_sangre#:~:text=On%205%20November%201865%2C%20a,be%20admitted%20to%20college%20education https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limpieza_de_sangre#:~:text=O....

someotherperson 2y ago

The attacks began earlier[0] and many Jews began converting en masse. He might not have even known his parents or grandparents were Jewish. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_1391 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_1391

ywvcbk 2y ago

> r, is how the same year Columbus sailed the ocean blue, 1492, How could that be related in any way? Presumably his investors did hope he would return and be allowed to enter the country? > Columbus must not have been very religious He was. As far as we can tell he was a very devout Catholic. Even if he had some Jewish origin (e.g. his grand/great grandparents were converts) that must have been a closely concealed secret and certainly not something that was publicly known.