America, A Free And Democratic Country

Fur trade between the French and Indians began with the exchange of small items the Indians didn’t have, though it became an important trade source for all of Europe, especially by Samuel de Champlain

The British were interested in the production and circulation of fur as a commodity in the world market and were in need of labor. The Indians were the only available source of skilled labor, so they became part of the production process.

Long before European fur traders established their commerce on the North American continent, the fur trade had a long lucrative history that impacted native Americans and their modes of life. As a desirable and profitable good, fur was sought to “be the most valuable single item of trade.” Soon, a competitive market trade ground for fur emerged and the fur trade changed how Indian tribes adapted from their previous habitats: they were the primary manufacturers. Eric Wolf then discusses the consequences of the fur trade for different groups of Native American tribes both on the concepts of dependency and on the levels of how social economic relationships are changed. To support his claims, I will compare and contrast the experiences of the Abenaki

The York factory actually used a unit called a MD (made beaver) which was a prime pelt of beaver, and they sued that measuring unit as a way trading with the First Nation’s. For example, a cotton blanket was the same unit equivalent to a MD, thus a FN could trade a MD for a blanket, and vice versa. York factory had to adjust its inflations for the Indians as well because the European assumed that the First Nation’s couldn’t understand the ideas of “surplus” or “inflation”, so they begin adjusting prices and short changing the First Nation’s. The First Nation’s noticed this, and began compromising with goods; First Nation’s tribes also didn’t need very much from the trading posts, requiring only 70 MB per year for basic necessities. The short-changing of the First Nation’s forced them into bargaining within their own terms of reference, so when the time arose, they were able to bargain effectively with other tribes. Another aspect of trading was the gift-giving to the First Nation’s that happened before trading days, and had this not occurred, no trading would have happened. The Europeans also gave gifts to other tribes that weren’t trading with them at the time, to encourage them to

During the 1800's, there was a noticeable spike in demand for animal fur's, pelt's, and hide's. Especially in distant countries such as Spain and England. People believed that wearing the fur's or having them around the house, such as rugs or throws was a sign of their wealth. Due to this sudden high demand, men began noticing they could generate a significant amount of money by opening businesses and selling the animal fur's, hide's, and pelt's as well as, other supplies for trapping and other jobs. In 1833, three business partners decided they wanted to take a chance and open a fur trading post as well. However, not only was this trading post for selling goods, it would also become headquarters for an Army unit. In an open area now known as La Junta, Colorado, the three business partners, brothers William and Charles Bent, and Ceran St. Vrain opened their first trading post, naming it Bent's Fort. Bent's fort quickly became a very popular and successful trading post in Colorado selling animal fur's and, other goods as well as, housing an Army unit.

Thomas Mendenhall, a traveling merchant, would take the settlers products to Salt Lake and trade the produce for them, bringing back what they needed for exchange. Mr. Merrick and Mr. Duffin had created a little store on the north side of the fort area, with William Whitehead as the clerk. Despite the limited supplies and stock, the mines in Montana also offered good opportunities for the settlers to trade. Exporting flour, butter, eggs, grain and other supplies, in exchange, for the mules, horses, wagons, and other merchandise they sorely needed.

1790s – The fur trade thrived in the final years of the 1700s. The trade remained dominated by British merchants and traders, but involved many French Canadians, the Métis, and a few Americans. Wisconsin’s Indian Nations remained full participants in the trade but their increasing reliance on trade goods continued to undermine their traditional culture and social structure.

Louis to the Rocky Mountain valley and waited for the trappers and Indians to arrive with beaver pelts to swap for manufactured goods from the East

Description: Students explore several goods from the Bent’s Fort era in a touch cart-like format. They then play a trade game taking on the role of a real group that would’ve traded at the Fort. Trading partners in clued Trappers, Cheyenne & Arapaho, Utes, New Mexicans, and St. Louis traders. Trade goods explored include furs and hides, flint and steel, buttons, axe head, and a tea brick.

“They… brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks’

Canada is known for the vast landscape diverse in natural resources that are found with in its boarders stretching from coast to coast. The fur trade in Canada has a unique and colorful evolving history. The geography of Canada with its thousands of lakes and wide spread landscape began as a pristine environment to harvest furs. Early shore-based fishing exploitations off the Grand Banks could have been causes for the initiation of the North American fur trade. Europeans were attracted by the superb quality of the furs in the possession of the natives they encountered and saw the potential for marketing such furs in Europe where stock of good quality fur was becoming increasingly limited. Native people in what is now Canada, were interested in trading their furs for European goods not accessible or known by the Native people. Foreign items that the Natives sought out were metal implements, clothing, blankets and horses. Across the ocean a change in men’s headwear fashion in western Europe in the late 16th century motivated and drove the North American fur trade as a major business opportunity for European nations. As part of their uniform Swedish military officers fashioned a wide brimmed felt hat that inspired European men to wear a similar style of hat, this type of hat became a big demand in

Beaver pelts were very popular among these brave mountaineers as we see in many paintings of them. As a result of this, Fur Trading Companies, Hudson’s Bay, and American Fur Trade, emerged and began to dominate most of the trading up in the north. With your common mountain men, they would do just about all of their tradings with native americans or at the rendezvous that were held every year or every couple months. Rendezvous were a great place to trade for goods and foods you would have a difficult time while traveling. Even though mountain men were constantly encountering native americans, at times they got unlucky and ran into the wrong

used to regulate trade coming in and out of the colonies. However, many colonists saw through this

Their scheme of exchanging diverse materials like furs for goods, with the populace (the First Nations and the Europeans) mostly benefited the Europeans. The Europeans not only benefited themselves by loads of beaver pelts, but cures for diseases, how to transport from places, clothing, and sometimes, some French people known as ‘coureurs de bois’ who get married with a First nation women. If fur did not attract the Europeans from France to North America, at that time, none of these events would have taken place. This trade mostly benefited the Europeans, by fur and goods, in a few ways. First way, the First nations would give a lot of fur to the Europeans because they would receive a variety of goods like pots, beads, knives, etc. as it would make their life easier than before. Moreover, these goods were never familiar to them, so they would obviously desire more, which would hence, benefit the Europeans. To be more precise, the Europeans

The idea of the expected reciprocity was new to the tribe. After a few conflicts, the islanders were more than willing to adapt and reciprocate within their new community. A more foreign concept for them to digest was the unbalanced exchange, where they make a profit, called market exchange. Atan scrunched his nose when he described what this process meant to him. He said, “I still do not understand this process fully, but market exchange is when a portion of the crops we grow are sold to outsiders for money, so we can make money to buy the goods we require. But, my corn may be 20 cents today and 50 cents next week. My son, Gilago, tells me the prices are based on supply and demand, whatever that means.” Atan goes one to tell Ascot they trade crops and sometimes future crops to gain domesticated animals to farm with and provide them with dairy products. This trade system is still somewhat foreign to him, but he explains that three seasons of a specific crop is worth the same value of one