governor and his successors enjoyed their authority in New France without restraint. At the beginning of 1663, the Company of One Hundred Associates (Compagnie des Cent-Associés) was dissolved and New France became a royal possession once more.

The appointment of the intendant by Louis XIV and Jean-Baptiste Colbert was an attempt to correct the weakened state of New France and intervene before it was too late. The intendant was to