Louis de Buade de Frontenac

Biography

Louis de Buade, count de Frontenac and of Palluau, is one of the most important figures of the history of the News-France. He is very known today with the Quebec to have defended the colony against the English attacks and iroquoises.

The origin of its family is doubtless in the South-west of France.

The grandfather and the father of Louis are governors of the castle of Saint-Germain-in-Bush hammer. This is why Louis was born in the castle the old (the current castle) on May 22nd 1622. He is baptized in the Chapelle on July 30th 1623. Louis XIII, king de France, becomes his prestigious godfather.

At the seventeen years age, Louis de Frontenac enters the French Armée. He takes part in several campaigns of the Guerre Thirty Year old. With the seat of Orbitello in 1646, it is wounded with the right-hand man, wound of which it will never cure. In October 1648, Frontenac marries Anne of the Barn-Trianon, famous for its physical beauty, so that its portrait is with Versailles. It is the heiress of an immense fortune. Father of Anne opposes violently to this marriage and when he learns that the weddings nevertheless took place, he disinherits his daughter. In May 1651, Anne gives rise to François-Louis, the only child of Frontenac. One of the sisters of Louis, Henriette-Marie, is the wife of Henri Louis Habert de Montmor

The first government of Frontenac

The April 7th 1672, Louis de Frontenac obtains from the king the load of general governor of the News-France. The June 28th 1672, it embarks (without its wife) with La Rochelle bound for its new American mission. At that time, the News-France is managed like a metropolitan province, even if the distance requires important installations. Frontenac, in its capacity as governor, then has absolute capacity on the military businesses, it has even the right to veto with regard to the decisions of the other leaders. The departure of the intendant Jean Talon in November 1672 gives to the governor still more capacities.

The most glorious company takes place at the beginning of the government of Frontenac: it is about discovered of the Mississippi by Louis Jolliet (originating in Montreal) and the father Jacques Marquette (originating in Laon in France). Then immense extremely on the Lake Ontario is built, to which one gives the name of Fort Frontenac. The governor names ordering Vallière of the Acadie, it maintains the relations with Bostonnais, it ensures alliance with the Abénaquis and it maintains peace with the Iroquois. But a plot carried out against Frontenac by a French deputy minister eager to take the control of the draft of the furs, between 1672 and 1682, involve in 1682 its recall towards France.

The second government

After a seven years interregnum, the count returns in News-France in 1689, and must face increasingly quarrelsome English. He makes re-occupy Strong Frontenac (which had been taken meanwhile by the English) and makes undertake work of fortifications with Quebec and Montreal.

In 1690, the English organize a plan of countryside per ground and Mer against the News-France. The admiral Phips seizes Pentagouët and Port-Royal (Acadie), whereas the forwarding started from New York against Montreal fails on the edges of the lake Champlain. However, the enormous fleet of Phips goes up the the St. Lawrence and comes to besiege Quebec the October 16th 1690. Louis de Frontenac organizes defense and resistance. The English admiral sends to the governor a member of Parliament carrying a summation written by advance. The delegate presents to Frontenac an ultimatum “in the name of their majesties Guillaume III and Marie, king and Queen of England” where it invites the French to go without engagements and finishes while saying: “Your positive response in one hour, returned by your trumpet with the return of the mien, is what I ask you on the danger which will be able to be followed some”. There, the English member of Parliament draws a watch from his pocket and shows the hour with the governor.

Frontenac answers without delay: “I do not know king Guillaume, usurper who violated the most crowned rights blood by wanting détrôner Jacques II, his/her father-in-law; as for your general, whom it knows that I do not have of answer to make him that by the mouth of my guns and with rifle shots; that he learns that it is not kind which one treats a man such as me and, when well even I would like to return to me, all these brave men officers whom you see would not never agree to it”.

The following day, of the reinforcements directed by Mr. de Callières arrive of Montreal. But the 18, the English of Phips unload in Beauport, while four their ships bombard Quebec. The attack lasts three days, it is a failure and free Phips definitively the News-France.

Following their heavy defeat, the English do not organize any more themselves of other attacks against the French colony, they prefer to arm Iroquois to attack the Canadians in their place. In 1691, a strong group of Iroquois warriors, armed by the English, comes to camp with the mouth of the river of Outaouais, close to Montreal, and sows desolation in all the area. In 1693 again, Anglo-Iroquois return in front of Montreal. Each time, these attempts, although loopholes, are failures.

In same time, Frontenac continues to encourage the establishment of new stations of draft in the West. Thus, of the forts are built in the area of the Mississippi and the Meadows, thus allowing the runners wood to exchange with the Sioux and the Amerindians of the plains. In 1697, peace is signed between France and England (treated of Ryswick). The governors then continues its projects of consolidation and expansion of the News-France. But to the autumn 1698, Frontenac falls seriously sick, and its health is degraded quickly. Mid-November, feeling its close end, it makes the Paix with the intendant and the bishop, and dies the 28 of the same month. It is buried in the church of Récollets of Quebec.

See too

Governor Frontenac and general the phils http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lpijiXlGq8

Internal bond

the Château Frontenac was named thus with its honor.

External bonds

Association Frontenac-Americas (information on Louis de Frontenac and the francophonie in America)
Film

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