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Edict of Nantes grants political rights to French Huguenots

The Edict of Nantes was an edict signed in April 1598 by King Henry IV of France that granted the Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was…

The Edict of Nantes was an edict signed in April 1598 by King Henry IV of France that granted the Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was predominantly Catholic. While upholding Catholicism as the established religion, and requiring the re-establishment of Catholic worship in places it had lapsed, it granted certain religious tolerance to the Protestant Huguenots, who had been waging a long and bloody struggle for their rights in France.

The Edict of Saint-Germain, promulgated 36 years earlier by Catherine de Médici, had granted limited tolerance to Huguenots but was overtaken by events, as it was not formally registered until after the Massacre of Vassy on 1 March 1562, which triggered the first of the French Wars of Religion.

Historical Significance

The Edict of Nantes was an edict signed in April 1598 by King Henry IV of France that granted the Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was predominantly Catholic.

Events Before

  1. A group of early Japanese Christians, known as the 26 Martyrs, are killed by the new government of Japan for being seen

    A group of early Japanese Christians, known as the 26 Martyrs, are killed by the new government of Japan for being seen as a threat to Japanese society

  2. William Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor" is first performed with Queen Elizabeth I of England in attendance

    William Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor" is first performed with Queen Elizabeth I of England in attendance

  3. Astronomer Johannes Kepler marries widow Barbara Müller

    Astronomer Johannes Kepler marries widow Barbara Müller

  4. French nobleman and future Governor of Arcadia Pierre Dugua de Monts marries Judith Chesnel

    French nobleman and future Governor of Arcadia Pierre Dugua de Monts marries Judith Chesnel

  5. First Dutch East India Company ships return from the Far East

    The United East India Companyoːˈseː]), commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, was a chartered trading company and one of the first joint-stock companies in the world.

Events After

  1. Jacob van Neck's fleet leaves Bantam, Java in modern-day Indonesia with 1 million pounds of pepper and cloves and a furt

    Jacob van Neck's fleet leaves Bantam, Java in modern-day Indonesia with 1 million pounds of pepper and cloves and a further half a ship full of nutmeg, mace and cinnamon

  2. Albert VII Archduke of Austria marries his cousin Isabella, daughter of Philip II of Spain

    Albert VII (German: Albrecht VII; 13 November 1559 – 13 July 1621) was the ruling Archduke of Austria for a few months in 1619 and, jointly with his wife, Isabella Clara Eugenia, sovereign of the…

  3. English nobleman Robert Devereux becomes Lord Lieutenant of Ireland

    Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (10 November 1565 – 25 February 1601) was an English nobleman, soldier and a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I. A charismatic and ambitious youth, Essex grew up in a...

  4. Jacob Corneliszoon van Necks' Dutch merchant fleet, the second to reach Indonesia, leaves Java

    Jacob Corneliszoon van Necks' Dutch merchant fleet, the second to reach Indonesia, leaves Java

  5. Italian painter Caravaggio gets his first public commission, the Contarelli Chapel in the church of San Luigi dei France

    Italian painter Caravaggio gets his first public commission, the Contarelli Chapel in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome

More from the 1590s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on April 13, 1598?
The Edict of Nantes was an edict signed in April 1598 by King Henry IV of France that granted the Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was predominantly Catholic. While upholding Catholicism as the established religion, and requiring the re-establishment of Catholic worship in places it had lapsed, it granted certain religious tolerance to the Protestant Huguenots, who had been waging a long and bloody struggle for their rights in France. The Edict of Saint-Germain, promulgated 36 years earlier by Catherine de Médici, had granted limited tolerance to Huguenots but was overtaken by events, as it was not formally registered until after the Massacre of Vassy on 1 March 1562, which triggered the first of the French Wars of Religion.
Why is Edict of Nantes grants political rights to French Huguenots significant?
The Edict of Nantes was an edict signed in April 1598 by King Henry IV of France that granted the Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was predominantly Catholic.

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