Bienville shaped early 18th-century French Louisiana during years of hardship and conflict with Spain and England, the three allied with Indigenous nations. Born in Montréal to the prominent Le Moyne family, he joined his brothers in advancing French colonial ambitions in North America. He sailed along the Gulf Coast with Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville, exploring the Mississippi in 1699. Present at the founding of Louisiana, he later became a controversial governor, remembered for his brutality, his corruption, and his role in establishing the American cities of New Orleans and Mobile. He retired to Paris in 1743.