[sanormal]

Jews were a tiny minority on the Iberian Peninsula prior to the expulsion. Most European sovereigns had taken action to remove Jews from their realms prior to the Spanish expulsion. Ferdinand and Isabella were congratulated for their belated action by their European peers.

Spain allowed the Jews to leave with their wealth. The economic impact that the expulsion had was tiny. Most chose to stay and become converts. If they could not leave with their wealth, it was returned to them if they came back.

What Spain lost in the expulsion was not people, for few left, nor wealth, for they were not wealthy. Spain lost the ability to protect all of her people.

[TradicalRC]

I was pretty sure that Spain had the largest population of Jews in the European countries. What is your source for saying they were allowed to leave with their wealth?

[livius]

One of the problems with Spain at that time is that its consolidation as a modern state (the first of them, may I add) was not finished, nor was its repopulation after the Muslims were driven out. Spain was out of control, full of bandits and disobedient nobles who still wanted to carve out their own territories. Ferdinand and Isabel, los Reyes Catolicos, actually instituted a national police force that was somewhat like a troop of sheriffs, responsible for protecting civilians in some of the more lawless areas.

I think, to a great extent, the Jews were caught up in the very unstable political situation of the time, since they had no other power to defend them.