Final answer:
Jews began migrating to North America in the mid-1600s following their expulsion from Spain and Portugal during the Spanish Inquisition, which occurred alongside other key events in 1492.
Step-by-step explanation:
The large-scale migrations of Jews to North America that began in the mid-1600s occurred after they were expelled from Spain and Portugal during the Spanish Inquisition. This expulsion was part of a series of events in 1492, which included Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the New World, the expulsion of the Jews and Muslims from Spain, and the end of the Reconquista. These events collectively caused significant Jewish migration to the Americas. As the Inquisition aimed to enforce Catholic orthodoxy, many Jews were forced to leave Spain or convert to Catholicism, and some of these expelled individuals later became part of the early Jewish communities in North America.