Coureur des Bois

A Coureur des Bois or Coureur was an French civilian unit that is featured in Age of Empires III.

Game Info
The Coureur des Bois are French villagers who replace the normal settlers that the other civilizations used. The Coureurs are more expensive than the average settlers, but this is worth it because the Coureurs gather natural resources faster than normal villagers. Also the Coureurs can double as an infantry unit in the military because they stronger than the settlers too.

Real Info
The Coureur des Bois were individuals who was involved in the fur trade in the "New World" without the permission from the French authorities during the late 17th century and early 18th century. The word Coureur des bois, literally ment "runner of the woods".

The Coureur des Bois were not looked upon favourably by Montreal authorities or the French royal officials because they would travel with the colonists then they would go off on their own leaving their agricultural areas to do fur trading. Some of the Coureur des Bois became well known such as Étienne Brûlé, Louis Joliet, and Médard des Groseilliers.

Soon the French authorities realized the Coureur des Bois had to be controlled so that their industry might remain profitable. So the French limited the number of the Coureurs and soon created another type of Coureurs called Voyageurs which ment "traveller". Soon these Coureurs and Voyageurs became folk heros and were celebrated in folklore and music.