Joseph-Antoine de La Barre

Who was Joseph-Antoine de La Barre?

Joseph-Antoine le Fèbvre de LaBarre was the Governor of New France from 1682 to 1685. He had previously been Governor of Auvergne and of the French Antilles.

He was originally an administrator, who then became an officer in the French Navy.

Having replaced the frustrated Comte de Frontenac, LaBarre set out to permanently establish the fur trade in the west. In 1683 he, along with a few hundred soldiers, made camp at the future site of Oswego, New York to wait for the Iroquois to attack. After a while, over a hundred of LaBarre's men fell ill and supplies ran out. LaBarre and his men elected to return to Montreal and abandon the west. They left Oswego and Fort Frontenac to the Iroquois. As punishment, the French government handed LaBarre's governorship to Jacques-René de Brisay, Marquis de Denonville, a tough, pious cavalry officer.

In 1687 de la Barre was again Governor of Cayenne and died three years later.

Jean-François de la Barre, known as the Chevalier de La Barre, was his descendant.