Background
Louis de Buade de Frontenac was born on May 22, 1622 in St. Germain-en-Laye, France.
Louis de Buade de Frontenac was born on May 22, 1622 in St. Germain-en-Laye, France.
From 1635 Frontenac served under Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange-Nassau, in Holland, and took part in campaigns in the Low Countries and Italy until the signing of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, when he returned to Paris.
After an unfortunate marriage, he retired to his estates, where he nearly ruined himself by his extravagant mode of life. In 1669 he was sent in command of a French force to aid the Venetians in their defense of Crete against the Turks. His conduct of this operation was highly praised, and Frontenac was appointed the governor of New France, or Canada, in succession to Rémy de Courcelle, arriving in Quebec on September 12, 1672.
His policy of colonial expansion did not meet with the approval of Louis XIV or his minister Jean Baptiste Colbert, and Frontenac's attempt to establish the feudal estates in Canada was violently opposed by François Xavier de Laval-Montmorency, bishop of Quebec, who wished to preserve church privileges. As a result of the intrigues of his enemies, Frontenac was recalled to France in 1682.
His successors as governors of Canada failed to defeat the Iroquois and, following the Massacre of Lachine in 1689, Frontenac was again appointed the governor.
In 1690 several New England ships, under the command of Sir William Phips, demanded the surrender of the fort on the Island of Orleans. These were repulsed and Frontenac prepared to attack Boston, but was forced by lack of supplies to abandon this project. Frontenac led a force against the Iroquois in 1696, but they fled their villages at his approach.
Louis married to Anne de La Grange-Trianon.
