The history of the Jews in the United States of America. Why and when did they emigrate? The history of Jews in the United States of America is long and arduous. This relationship began in the first week of September 1654, when 23 Jewish immigrants landed in New Amsterdam, the Dutch colony (now known as Manhattan), and were immediately asked to leave by then-Governor Peter Stuyvesant, because as he said they should not be able to infest the new colony, (Schappes 9). The Jewish immigrants refused and later obtained permission from the Dutch West India Company to reside, travel, and trade. However, the major migration of Jews to the United States of America took place in three waves known primarily as the German Immigrant Period (1850-1870), the Eastern European Emigration (1881-1924), and the Post Immigration -Holocaust (1945-60). The first wave, the German Migration Period, took place between 1850 and 1870, during which the American Jewish population quadrupled. During this period, Jews suffered political and religious persecution in Western Europe, preceded by Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815, which saw the reintroduction of oppressive laws and ordinances in many European countries (Wiernik 136). German Jews were affected by these laws more severely than any other group. To make matters worse, the ghetto walls were rebuilt and a new wave of anti-Semitism spread across Europe, leading to the migration of many Jews from Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, Russia and Poland. Also during this period capitalism was introduced to Europe. and the effect on agricultural economies was devastating; as most common people earned their living by farming. In addition, there were extensive paper studies on Greeks, Jews, Lithuanians, Ukrainians. 1976. ERIC. EBSCO. Network. January 24, 2011.Drs. Sheskin, Ira and Dashefsky, Arnold. Statistics on the Jewish population. Jewishdatabank.org. University of Connecticut. 2010, Web. 18 March. 2011Holy BibleIsrael. cia.gov. Central Intelligence Agency 14 January 2011. Web. 18 February 2011Israel. igto.ca. Ministry of Tourism.Israel. 2005. Web.20 January 2011Jewish Virtual Library. Israeli American Cooperative Enterprise.April 4. 2011. Network. 8 February 2011.Schappes, Morris u. The Jews in the United States: A Pictorial History from 1654 to the Present. New York. The Citadel Press, 1958. Print.Spielvogel, Jackson L. Western Civilization: A Brief History. USA.Wadsworth, 2008. PrintWiernik, Peter. History of the Jews in America: from the period of the discovery of the New World to the present day. New York. Hermon Press, 197. Print.