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Secondary sourceBook1915

The Founder of New France: A Chronicle of Champlain

Charles W. Colby · 1915

A 1915 biography written for young readers summarizing Champlain's life as explorer and founder of Quebec.

A popular biography summarizing Champlain's career as explorer and founder of Quebec for young Canadian readers.

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Full text (public-domain edition)

About this source

What it is

Written by Charles W. Colby in 1915, this book is part of the Chronicles of Canada series edited by George M. Wrong and H. H. Langton. It offers a concise account of Champlain's life, from his birth at Brouage to his career as explorer, geographer, and colonizer.

Why it matters

Published nearly three centuries after Champlain's death, this chronicle shows how early twentieth-century Canadian historians summarized and popularized his achievements for a general audience, including founding Quebec and exploring the St Lawrence and Acadian coasts.

Look closer

  • Why might this book list Champlain's life as a series of short, dated facts?
  • What is emphasized about Champlain in this summary, and what is left out?
  • How might writing for young readers change the way a historian tells Champlain's story?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Samuel de Champlain on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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