Prejudice against Jews, known as anti-Semitism, had a long history in many parts of Europe. During the Middle Ages, many people had believed and spread incredible tales about the Jews. At the time of the Black Death, Jews were accused of poisoning wells to kill Christians. Over the centuries, mobs humiliated, tortured, and massacred Jews. In some lands, rulers forced Jews to convert to Christianity. Barred from owning land and from belonging to craft guilds, many medieval Jews became merchants and moneylenders.

In some countries, Jews were forced by law to live in ghettos. Though today the word ghetto describes a city slum, a ghetto at that time was a part of town set aside for Jews. The ghetto was separated from the other parts of town by walls and gates. At night and during Christian celebrations, Jews were forbidden to leave the ghetto.

In the 1800's, the ideals of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution resulted in legal equality for Jews in most of Western Europe. They could move out of the ghettos and take part in many activities that had been closed to them. With this new freedom, some Jews became successful in business, science, the arts, and, in a few co

Many Jews hoped to regain their independence. Some hoped for the coming of the Messiah (savior) which had been promised by Jewish prophets. The Messiah, they believed, would restore their kingdom's ancient greatness and would bring an age of prosperity and peace.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2354
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)