The wars of religion that dissipated much of the wealth and power of France in the 16th century wound down in 1593 when King Henri IV converted to Catholicism and re-united the kingdom. Subsequently, he issued the Edict of Nantes (1598), restoring civil rights to Protestants and granting freedom of worship to all French citizens. A modicum of prosperity returned to the land and new enterprises were encouraged by the king and his ministers. In New France in 1608, Samuel de Champlain, founded the city of Quebec and emigration to the region was promoted by the Crown. Religious strife returned to France with the assassination of Henri IV by a Protestant fanatic in 1610. Following this, Protestant towns and villages in the west and south of France were subdued with great loss of life and much destruction, as dramatically illustrated by the year-long siege to force the capitulation of the city of La Rochelle (1628). Widespread persecution of religious dissidents followed and the Edict of Nantes was revoked in 1685, leading to the emigration of hundred of thousands of "Huguenots" to Protestant countries like northern Germany and England and the American colonies. The reign of Louis XIII (1610-1643), successor to Henri IV, was marked by the increased centralization of political power under the king along with the complete dominance of the Catholic Church under the tireless ministry of Cardinal Richelieu. The reign of Louis XIV (1643-1715), the Sun King, developed these trends to their logical extremes. Unfortunately, the peasantry had to bear the burden of the many wars and the extravagances of the royal court. Heavy taxation sparked numerous peasant uprisings, such as that of Les Croquants (1634-1647) in the south and west and the Va-nu-pieds (1639) in the north—all were brutally suppressed. The Plague (Black Death) returned to some parts of the country. For many in the population, these were not easy times.