July 18, 1290
After they suffered decades of exploitation and persecution that included heavy taxation and attempts at forced conversion, King Edward I of England issued an expulsion order for the Jews of England. They are allowed to take only personal possessions; their property is confiscated.
Jews settled in England later than in other parts of Europe, with the first Jews arriving in the 11th century. In 1096, as the Crusades ravaged the Jewish communities of Normandy, large numbers of Jews left northern France to settle in England. This pattern continued into the 12th century when King Henry I issued a charter for the Jews and King Stephen extended protection to them. The Jewish population grew with arrivals from Germany, Italy and Spain.
Despite those protections, the Jews were often subjected to persecution, high taxation and other discriminatory acts in England during the 12th century. The low point for Jewish life came during the reign of King Richard I, known as Richard the Lionhearted, who ruled from 1189 to 1199. Richard led the Third Crusade to the Holy Land, and over eight months in 1189 and 1190, a wave of massacres swept through England’s Jewish community. Although life eventually stabilized, Jews were still subjected to attempts at forced conversion and to high taxes.
The expulsion decree follows a decades-long policy of isolating Jews by restricting where they may live and limiting the occupations in which they may engage. However, the Jewish community has become so impoverished that their contribution to the royal tax coffers is negligible. Their expulsion thus has only a minor effect on the English economy. Approximately 4,000 Jews are expelled, and most go to France or Germanic lands. Jews are not readmitted to England until 1656 during the rule of Oliver Cromwell.
