1528day.year
Hernando Alonso
Spanish conquistador, first Jew executed in the New World
Spanish conquistador
first Jew executed in the New World
Spanish conquistador who participated in early New World expeditions and was the first Jewish person executed in the Americas.
Hernando Alonso (died October 17, 1528) was a Spanish conquistador and trained blacksmith who joined Hernán Cortés’s forces during the conquest of Mexico. A converso of Jewish heritage, Alonso’s expertise in metalwork made him a valuable asset in equipping Spanish troops. After the fall of Tenochtitlán, he settled in the colony and worked for the royal treasury in Mexico City. In 1528, Alonso was arrested and tried by the Inquisition on charges including heresy and unlawful relations with indigenous women. Found guilty, he became the first Jew to be executed in the New World, hanged in the main plaza. His trial highlights the complex intersection of religion, law, and colonial society in early Spanish America.
1528
Hernando Alonso