The Edict of Nantes of 1598 granted broad liberties and privileges to this group.
Unlanded gentry
Catholics
Merchants
Huguenots
Women
The Edict of Nantes of 1598 provided broad liberties to Huguenots or French Calvinists, essentially making them a state within the state of Catholic France. When the edict was revoked in 1685, many Huguenots immigrated to the new lands in North America.