The National Huguenot Society has a timeline of important Huguenot dates which provide a decent overview of their history with regard to French religious and civil life.

John Calvin decided to become a Protestant in 1533. In 1536, he published the first edition of his apologetic work, Institutes of the Christian Religion. That same year, he fled France for Basel, then Geneva.

By the 1550s, the Reformed faith was gaining more converts in France. This is a summary of what happened next:
25 May 1559First Synod of the French Reformed Church held in Paris, followed by persecutions and issuance of Edict prohibiting “heretical” worship
1559Attempt to replace Catholic Guises with Huguenot Condé as regent
1560Huguenots petition the King and threaten revolt if persecution persists
1 March 1562Massacre at Vassay begins French religious wars; Condé assassinated
1562Huguenots sign manifesto saying they were forced to take arms
1 May 1562Arrival at St. John’s River, in Florida, of the first pilgrimage by Huguenots to North America
1564Death of John Calvin
1565Huguenot colony massacred at St. John, FL
24 August 1572St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in which tens of thousands of Huguenots were killed
1585Huguenots/Protestants expelled from France
13 April 1598Edict of Nantes by Henry of Navarre which granted religious and civil liberties to the Huguenots promises protection
18 October 1685Revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV which was published 22 October 1685, and resulted in persecution of the Huguenots; 400,000 flee France to other countries
28 November 1787

 
For the rest of the article, see:


Promulgation of the Edict of Toleration


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