1493.E2.80.931688 Martinique

the attack on french ships @ martinique in 1667

because there few catholic priests in french antilles, many of earliest french settlers huguenots sought greater religious freedom experience in mainland france. quite industrious , became quite prosperous. although edicts king louis xiv s court regularly came islands suppress protestant heretics , these ignored island authorities until louis xiv s edict of revocation in 1685.

from september 1686 1688, french crown used martinique threat , dumping ground mainland huguenots refused reconvert catholicism. on 1,000 huguenots transported martinique during period, under miserable , crowded ship conditions caused many of them die en route. survived trip distributed island planters engagés (indentured servants) under system of serf peonage prevailed in french antilles @ time.

as many of planters on martinique huguenot, , sharing in suffering under harsh strictures of revocation, began plotting emigrate martinique many of arrived brethren. many of them encouraged catholic brethren looked forward departure of heretics , seizing property themselves. 1688, of martinique s french protestant population had escaped british american colonies or protestant countries home. policy decimated population of martinique , rest of french antilles , set colonization decades, causing french king relax policies in islands yet leaving islands susceptible british occupation on next century.