1685

1685 was a year in the late 17th century marked by political realignments and major religious policy changes in Europe, as well as continuing Atlantic world developments. It is notably remembered for the accession of a new English monarch and a significant policy shift in France that affected Huguenots and European Protestant communities.

In France, Louis XIV issued the Edict of Fontainebleau on October 22, 1685, which revoked the Edict of Nantes. The revocation intensified the persecution of Protestants and prompted widespread emigration. Refugees fled to neighboring states such as the Dutch Republic, the German lands, and Britain, contributing to demographic and economic effects in both origin and destination regions.

In England, the year began with Charles II still on the throne, but his death on February 6 led to the succession of James II. The year also saw the suppression of the Monmouth Rebellion, led by James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth. The rebellion culminated at the Battle of Sedgemoor on July 6, 1685, with Monmouth’s forces defeated; he was executed on July 15, 1685. The events of 1685 reinforced royal authority under James II and foreshadowed the constitutional tensions that would culminate in the Glorious Revolution a few years later.

Across Europe and the Atlantic world, 1685 reflected broader patterns of centralized state power, religious conflict, and migratory flows that shaped the political and cultural landscape of the period.