to Civilization IV: Colonization
Louis de Frontenac is a leader of New France in Civilization IV: Colonization.
Civilopedia
Lived: 1622 - 1698
Born to a well-to-do family in 1622, de Frontenac was led from an early age towards the path of the career soldier. By the age of fifteen, he had enlisted and shipped off to Holland to aid in that country's war of independence against the Spanish. By the age of twenty-six, he had attained the rank of Brigadier-General.
In 1669, de Frontenac was among the first soldiers selected to join in the defense of the Greek island of Crete from the encroaching Turks. Despite failure in the face of the Turkish forces, de Frontenac proved himself a valorous soldier and was selected to become the new governor of New France by King Louis XIV.
De Frontenac had a single key goal as governor: make New France as glorious as the old one. Upon claiming the powers vested in him by the King, he began a vigorous series of reforms based on nothing more than his own theories of government. He began by organizing a series of committees consisting of noblemen, clergymen and citizens - the three most powerful factions of society in France - who could aid in the management of the colony. He built a massive fortress in the western frontier country of Quebec to help fortify that unsettled region. He even arranged for public elections to allow Quebec's citizens to have a say in their municipal government.
And while many of his efforts pleased great swathes of society, his headstrong methods angered many others. His democratic efforts would be particularly short-lived: upon hearing of them, the King immediately ordered the elections ended. By 1682, de Frontenac had ostracized nearly all the major officials in Quebec's government and the King had no recourse but to summon his wayward governor back to France.
Over the next seven years, increasing raids by the Iroquois against Quebec brought the young colony to its knees. In a bold move, the King decided to restore de Frontenac to his position as governor and to allow the life-long soldier and statesman another chance to prove his worth.
And prove it de Frontenac did.
Returned at last to Quebec, de Frontenac not only halted the Iroquois raids, but he also captured much territory of the English - the allies of the Iroquois - expanding New France to a previously unattainable size and power. He sacked three English forts in what are today New York, Maine and New Hampshire, claimed Newfoundland in the name of the King and seized all English territory around the Hudson Bay. In only nine years, de Frontenac had managed to not only save Quebec, but turned it into the most powerful colony in North America. He died on November 28th, 1698, known to all as the savior of New France.