Museum of The Book

The persecutions the Huguenot immigrants were fleeing from in France would eventually take several million lives and indeed it made little difference if your family was wealthy, educated or in government or for that matter a member of the royal family. The persecution by church and state spared no supossed guilty party. Whole congregations were being massacred and many imprisoned for nothing more than being the son or daughter of or married to a Huguenot. People's property and businesses were stolen in the name of the State. The inquisition unleashed on these Huguenots sent many seeking refuge in other countries. 

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The freedom of these pioneering Christians to a strange world was not long lived for in 1565, just three years into their adventure of faith, Spanish Catholics Conquistadors attacked Fort Caroline and slaughtered an unknown number of men, women and children. The Catholic government in Spain had earlier claimed this territory for itself and they would have no Frenchmen, Catholic or Protestant, trespassing their land. Apart from a small band of settlers who managed to escape by ship back to France the remaining 350 men of Fort Caroline were rounded up and taken to a beach where they were asked if there were any Catholics among them who would like to make confession. It seems the few who confessed a Catholic faith were taken into sanctuary and given safe passage by the Conquistadors. 

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In response the Huguenots admitted being of the Reformed Faith and then in unison, arm in arm, they broke into singing the 59th Psalm,” …But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy.” By days end, and almost to the last man, 350 husbands, fathers, brothers and sons were hacked to death by the edge of intolerant swords. Continued...