Religion in Europe: Protestantism: The Huguenots

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Background. The Huguenots were French Protestants. As John Calvin was French, the sect he founded spread quickly throughout France. While their numbers were not significant (between 1560 and 1570, the high watermark of their success, twelve hundred churches, or 10 percent of all churches in France, were Protestant), the Huguenots were extremely vocal and uncompromising in their demands. Some were content with local religious rights; others would only be happy with the spread of Protestantism throughout France, if not the world. Although the French monarchy was not closely tied to Rome and, in fact, was frequently at odds with the Pope, kings feared the Huguenots because they threatened the power of the monarch and a national church. Nobles enjoyed the autonomy Protestantism allowed them; many chose to convert since being Huguenot gave them the liberty to listen to their own consciences and follow their own laws rather than those of the Catholic monarch or the Church. Without the support of some powerful and wealthy nobles, the monarch’s authority was compromised. In time Protestantism became a power to be reckoned with, and several French kings recognized the wisdom of establishing a good relationship with the Huguenots and extending more rights to them. However, this did not mean the Huguenots were popularly accepted. The persecution of Huguenots began in the 1550s, including burnings at the stake. The violence culminated in the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre on 24 August 1572. Some Huguenots were even dragged out of bed after midnight; when it was over, about twelve thousand French Protestants had been killed.

The Americas. The Huguenots tried to bring their religion to the New World. In part this was to spread Protestantism and check the growth of Catholicism in the Americas; in part it was to provide a refuge for themselves. In 1562 they established the colony of Fort Caroline near present-day Jacksonville, Florida. However, three years later Pedro Menéndez de Avilés organized an expedition to drive the French out and gain control of Florida. The Spanish colony of St. Augustine was established, and the Huguenot (as well as French) presence in the area was eliminated.

Source

Mack P. Holt, The French Wars of Religion, 1562–1629 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995).