Huguenots

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Huguenots French Protestants who arose in Roman Catholic France during the Reformation and suffered persecution. In 1559, a national synod of Huguenot congregations adopted an ecclesiastical structure highly influenced by John Calvin. During the Wars of Religion (1562–98), Huguenots continued to face persecution and thousands died. Henry IV, a Huguenot, came to the throne in 1589 and, despite adopting the Roman Catholic faith in 1593, promulgated the Edict of Nantes (1598) that recognized Catholicism as the official religion but gave Huguenots certain rights. In 1685 Louis XIV revoked the edict, and thousands of Huguenots fled France. In 1789, their civil rights were restored and the Code Napoléon (1804) later guaranteed religious equality.

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