What was the term for the refugees that fled from France between 1680 and 1720?
Between 1680 and 1720, France saw a significant exodus of Protestants known as Huguenots. This period followed the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 by King Louis XIV, which had previously granted religious freedom to Protestants. Suddenly, they faced persecution and were forced to flee to other countries, including Britain, seeking refuge. The Huguenots were skilled artisans, merchants, and professionals, and their arrival significantly boosted the British economy and introduced new skills and industries, particularly in weaving and clockmaking. The other options, Quakers, Chartists, and Sikhs, represent different groups and time periods in British history. Quakers were a religious group facing persecution in the 17th century, but they were primarily English, not French refugees. The Chartists were a 19th-century political movement advocating for voting rights, and Sikhs are followers of a religion originating in the Punjab region. Therefore, Huguenots is the only answer that accurately describes the French Protestant refugees who sought asylum in Britain during that specific period.
Recall the word 'Huguenots' as sounds like 'huge knots', symbolizing the tangled journey these refugees endured during their escape from France.