Whitehall Conference facts for kids
The Whitehall Conference was an important meeting held in England in December 1655. Powerful English people, like business owners (called merchants), religious leaders (called clergymen), and legal experts (called lawyers), came together. Oliver Cromwell, who was a very important leader at the time, called this meeting. They met to discuss a big question: Should Jews be allowed to live in England again?
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What Was the Whitehall Conference?
The Whitehall Conference took place from December 4 to December 18, 1655. It was a special meeting called by Oliver Cromwell. He was the leader of England at that time. The main goal was to talk about whether Jews should be allowed to return to England. Jews had been forced to leave England many years before.
Why Was This Meeting Important?
Oliver Cromwell himself believed that Jews should be allowed to return. This idea is called the Jewish resettlement. However, the people at the conference had many different opinions. They ended up splitting into three main groups.
Different Ideas at the Conference
The groups at the conference had very different reasons for their views. Some were worried about money, others about religion.
Group 1: Merchants and Clergy
The first group included London business owners and religious leaders. The merchants did not want Jews to return. They were afraid that Jews would create too much economic competition. This meant they worried about losing money or business. The clergymen also did not want Jews to return. Their reasons were based on religious beliefs.
Group 2: Cromwell's Supporters
The second group mostly included people who worked for Oliver Cromwell. This group also had many military leaders. They supported the idea of Jews returning to England. However, they wanted some rules in place. They suggested a trial period for the Jews. If the Jews caused trouble, they could be sent away again. They also expected Jews not to insult Christ or try to convert Christians to their faith.
Group 3: Religious Groups (Millenarians and Sabbatarians)
The third group was made up of two religious movements: the Millenarians and Sabbatarians. Both of these groups had two sides: a more extreme side (called radical) and a more traditional side (called conservative).
The conservative side of this group agreed to Jews returning. But they also wanted rules that would allow Jews to be removed if things did not go well. The radical side believed it was England's duty from God to let Jews return. They thought if England did not, God would be angry. Most people in this third group hoped to convert Jews to Christianity once they arrived in England. They believed this would help bring about the second coming of Christ and the start of a special time called the messianic age.
What Happened After the Conference?
The conference did not make a final decision. It did not say for sure whether Jews should be allowed back. However, the meeting was still very important. It made it clear that allowing Jews back was legally possible. Most important legal experts agreed that "there is no law against their (the Jews) coming."
This was true because Jews had been expelled from England in 1290. This happened because of a royal decree from the king, not a law passed by Parliament. This legal finding was very important. It helped lead to the eventual return of Jews to England in the 1660s.
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