During his 18-year reign as premier of Quebec, Maurice Duplessis dominated the province and shaped it to his image. A brilliant orator and a scathing wit, Duplessis exercised complete control over his caucus and the Cabinet. If he couldnt get a vote, he bought it. Politics was the fuel that drove his life. He died on the job.
René Lévesque entered provincial politics in 1960 when Jean Lesage persuaded him to join his Liberal dream team. In 1968 he founded the Parti Québécois (PQ). Under the PQ banner, Lévesque served as premier from 1976 to 1985.