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Faculty Forum, New York’s First Refugees
New York's First Refugees: Fear, Faith and Family
The 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation holds lessons that are relevant to debates on immigration in America today. As part of a refugee exodus from France that numbered over 200,000 between 1520 and 1720, Huguenots left behind many hardships to create an enduring legacy that reshaped New York. This presentation will examine the motives for this transnational migration from the Protestant stronghold of La Rochelle and other areas of Catholic France. Travelogues (the earliest from 1679 on Staten Island), letters by church and political leaders, wills and advertisements for runaway slaves document the fears of and contributions of French-speaking refugees. It will argue for a shift from a culture of protest in the 1680s (both ecumenical and political) to acculturation by the 1730s (with rising intermarriage and slavery). The imperative to remember Huguenots and their persecution will also be explored.