Hudson's Bay : Case Study : The Hudson Bay Company

Native American Trade refers to the trade between Europeans and their North American descendants and the Indigenous people of North America, it really began before the colonial period and continued through the nineteenth century. The products traded involved a vast variety of goods and varied by region and era. Canada was a major trader with the native people. In most of Canada the term “Native American Trade” is synonymous with the fur trade; fur for making beaver hats was by far the most valuable product of the trade, from the European point of view. Native Americans had the skills and tools for hunting and skinning the animals used for fur clothing and Canadian settlers had the needs and funding for it. This made for a thriving exchange between the two societies.

Aboriginal women had occupied an essential position in the fur trade of the North American region from its birth during the 17th and 18th centuries. Even though this is true, the role of women, especially those of the Native American society, has been ignored a great deal in the entire history of fur trade. Contrary to the belief that the whole fur trade activity was only male-dominated, it very much depended upon Native women and their participation and labor in order to ensure survival as well as economic success. This paper will attempt to illuminate how Native women played the role as important producers when it comes to fur trade of the American Plains and, of course, the Canadian region. This paper will also deal with the two

The Hudson Bay Company was created in the late 17th century, decades before Canada became a country ("Our History"). Despite the success of the Hudson Bay Company, French and American interests did not back them ("Our History"). The main operations of the HBC was centred on trading with the Natives ("Our History"). The Natives brought furs to the forts and posts of the Hudson Bay Company, located around the shores of James and Hudson Bays, to barter for manufactured goods like knives, kettles, beads, needles, and blankets ("Our History"). These posts and forts along the west of Canada influenced where modern, major cities would grow ("Our History").

The fur trade was a significant part of Canadian history. With the founding of the Hudson's Bay and Northwest Company during the1670's, the fur trade managed growth and development all the way into Western Canada until 1870. The fur trade was unique, for it was the only industry that was based on an exchange of goods between two very different groups of people (namely, the Indians and the Europeans). Although most people think of the fur trade as being a male dominated industry, Indian women also played very important roles in the industry's development. However, the women's experiences differed in relation to

This new trading company was primarily made up of French Canadians and its creation was a direct threat to the Hudson's Bay Company, which held an absolute monopoly on the fur trade. In the middle of this conflict were the Metis, who held important positions as traders, labourers and clerks within both trading companies. By the end of the 18th century, many Metis people had begun to congregate around the trading posts at Red River . Many of the clerks working for either trading company were Metis and so the conflict grew in significance. Eventually the harsh methods of the Hudson's Bay Company caused the Metis to become disillusioned and so many joined with the Northwest Company.

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.

Often overlooked in Canadian history, for their role in the fur trade, are the First Nation women, who were key contributors to the expansion and success of fur trading. Many of the European fur traders upon arriving on Canadian soil ended up having sexual relationships with First Nation women; often leading to marriage. While such marriages were to be expected in remote locations there were additional incentives for the men since the marriage to First Nation women brought many other benefits to the fur traders: for example, women possessed a skill set and knowledge of the land which was unknown to the traders; the woman could act as a mediator and translator between the fur traders and the First Nations tribes; and in many cases the marriages enabled the expansion of their trading territories through new First Nations partners.

In 1608, a man by the name of Samuel de Champlain established the first permanent settlement for France called Quebec. Samuel de Champlain was also known as the “Father of New France”. French settlers were quite friendly to the American Indians known as the Huron Indian tribes located near the great lakes. They created an alliance with these native Indians, as the French settlers exchanged items such as gun power and other weapons to help the Indian fight in return they gave back fur. French didn’t do this because they like or wanted to help the Indians. They did this for the fur since the Indians knew where the beavers were at and how to get fur. This was known as French mercantilism to get more back then you are giving out. Independent trades called coureurs de bois or known as “runners of the woods” were paid to exchange weapons for fur. The bond between the French and the Huron Indian grew that soon French settler married Indian women. In 1640’s there was a series of conflicts with the Iroquois known as the Beaver War. The fur was so essential to the France since it was so valuable and lightweight. Fur was used in items such as hats, boot, furniture, etc. The fur was shown as luxury and warmth toward the European

The French government wanted a strong colony, but the post at Quebec could not defend itself from invading fleet. Under Cardinal Richelieu, chief minister to the king of France, a new company, the Company of 100 Associates was formed in 1627 and given a trade monopoly and title to French possessions in the New World. In return, the company promised to settle this area with 4000 colonists

A possible new marine sanctuary in the Potomac River, the Potomac River is home to the “Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay.” There are two-hundred known ships in the fourteen square mile area of the river adjacent to Charles County. The ships ages range from the Revolutionary War to the present days. Some of the ships are from the largest World War One wooden steam ships build for the American Emergency Fleet. The ships were burned and scuttled in the bay in 1925. Someone from the public committed on the area on Wednesday, experts have highlighted the importance of Mallows Bay. “... a national treasure in the process of being discovered,” said Maritime Historian Donald Shomette. People say that

More than thousand years ago before present time, and still now, First nations encountered several relationships with a mix of different nations, as it fell in their culture to welcome all. “These encounters often included news, ideas, and goods”. The Europeans who immigrated to North America, were one of the nations who the First nations was compatible with. In other words, it was natural for the First Nations to extend their traditions and cultures with the Europeans. The Europeans traded pots, beads, knives, fortune, kettles, and guns, in order to get fur and other goods, as it was their main goal of establishing a colony in New France. The fur that the French were searching for was specifically beaver pelt. Additionally, the Europeans had also discovered the best furs came

The fur-trade era in the United States was from 1640 to 1820. The Ojibwe people became heavily involved with the fur-trade and traded furs that they had for what they needed, instead of harvesting and making goods for themselves. Types of goods that they traded furs for include traps, metal tools, cloth, guns, beads, paint, and more. These new technologies changed their culture forever. A barter trade system had already been implemented by the Ojibwe in their culture before their tribe came into contact with any Europeans. Trade happened between the Ojibwe and the French and British settlers from the east coast. In order to keep up with the demands of their traders, and to satisfy their tribal needs, the Ojibwe people harvested beavers onto

The colonists traded glass, copper, textile, and ironware to the natives for the furs they acquired. These furs were then used to make their winter clothing. This was crucial since back during the Middle Ages, population growth caused a depletion in European wild game resulting in an increase of fur prices within Europe. Due to this increase in price, more European's traveled to America to trade for these Indian furs causing more colonization in the Americas to occur. Without the furs, there would have been fewer motives for the English to colonize to the Americas other than the idea of religious freedoms, etc. By being able to trade furs for other goods, many people were able to make fortunes off the furs to obtain wealth (Axtell, 989). Like with agriculture, the colonists over time would have developed the fur trade. However, the fur trading process was definitely sped up being the Indians had already established it. (Faragher,

In 1881 The Hudson's Bay Company produced their first mail order catalogue and opened their first retail store in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In the 1900s, The Hudson's Bay Company started to expand a chain of stores through Western Canada. The company then started to buy several other companies like Morgan Department stores in 1960 and while buying companies, they also started to expand through East Canada. In 1964 The Hudson's Bay Company becomes the name that they are known as today, The

At the very end of the 15th century or early 16th century the fur trade began to emerge on a very small scale along the coast of the United States; it was conducted by fishermen and other coastal sailors. Major trade goods from this period of trade were unique because they did not include standard European domestic or trade objects, instead the sailors traded parts stripped from their ships such as metal bolts and brass rings from their rigging, perishables such as woolen fabrics and hemp, and personal goods such as the earrings they wore to ward off bad eyesight, fishing knives, and blue glass beads that were worn as protection against the evil eye (Whitthoft 1966:204-205; Sempowski 2007). At this time the Iroquois had no direct contact with Europeans but received a small number of European goods that moved in from the coast along the established trade