	No matter what your opinion of the actual narrative found in David Liss’ The Coffee Trader, it is hard to argue against lessons learned about history presented in the novel. Things like the terrors of the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions that the Jewish and Muslim faced and the development of a rather large trade diaspora among the Jews and the Dutchmen of the seventeenth century (as well as many other nationalities around the world) are explained in great detail. Due to an emergence of commodity markets that spanned the length of the globe, the world of trading was changed for the better.
	All ideas have some sort of central starting place where the idea is born; the global commodity market as seen in The Coffee Trader is no different. In this particular case, the diaspora that developed between Jewish merchants was forceful. When the Spanish Inquisition started in 1481, Jews that converted to Christianity (called conversos) were targeted because of their close relationship to the Jewish community. Thousands of conversos were put on trial during the Inquisition until they were eventually exiled in 1492. Similar acts happened in other nations near Spain, such as Portugal. The Coffee Trader’s main setting, Amsterdam, was a popular choice of a new home for exiles. Liss describes the Dutch as an open people that had a high religious tolerance amidst its residents. Jews, Muslims, and Catholics alike were able to practice their respective religions without fear of being persecuted solely on the fact that they believed in different faiths. Of course, not all exiles went to the Netherlands. Some traveled to Turkey, some to Italy, and some to other parts of Europe. By ways of trade, Jews from various parts of the world were connected. Thus, a trade diaspora was born.
	The primary place that merchants did business in The Coffee Trader was called the Exchange. Liss describes the Exchange as a special section of Amsterdam that comes to life during certain times of the day. In it, merchants of varying nationalities did business by trading and selling whatever commodity that they believed would fetch them the greatest profit. Items such as oil, brandy, and eventually coffee were just some of the raw materials that were traded and sold to those who sought them. 
	There was one major positive to come from the Inquisitions that took place in the late fifteenth century. Because of the mass relocating that took place, the Jewish community now had contacts in multiple countries. They had access to merchants half of the way across the globe. One thing to note is that every country is not created equality as far as natural resources are concerned. Commodities in Amsterdam were not necessarily available in Paris. This paved the way for a global exchange of goods. The way merchants did business was now changed forever.
