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Fur trade

The fur trade is a worldwide industry involving capturing of animals for their fur.

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Timeline

1822   Ashley's Hundred leave from St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis , sometimes written Saint Louis, encompasses an independent city [i] in the U.S. state [i] ... 

 setting off a major increase in fur trade.



Encyclopedia


The fur trade is a worldwide industry involving capturing of animals for their fur.

North American fur trade

The North American fur trade was a huge part of the early history of contact European colonization of the Americas

A massive European colonization of the Americas started in 1492 [i] when Columbus [i] ... 

 in The New World New World

The New World is one of the names used for the Americas [i].... 

  between European-American European American

A European American, or a Euro-American, is a person who resides in the United States [i] and is ... 

s and American Indians Indigenous peoples of the Americas

The term Indigenous peoples of the Americas encompasses the inhabitants of the Americas [i] before the European discovery of the Americas [i] ... 

 . French explorers, originally seeking routes through the continent, established relationships with Amerindians Indigenous peoples of the Americas

The term Indigenous peoples of the Americas encompasses the inhabitants of the Americas [i] before the European discovery of the Americas [i] ... 

 and found they were willing to trade fur pelts Fur

The term fur refers to the body hair [i] of non-human mammal [i]s also known as the pelage [i] . ... 

 for items considered 'common' by the Europeans. Fur Fur

The term fur refers to the body hair [i] of non-human mammal [i]s also known as the pelage [i] . ... 

  was prized and very expensive in European Europe

Europe is one of the seven traditional continent [i]s of the Earth [i]. ... 

 markets. In the southern colonies, based on the export hub of Charleston, South Carolina Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is a city in the counties of Berkeley [i] and Charleston [i] ... 

, the system was mainly one of deerskin trade. Word spread amongst Native hunters that the Europeans would exchange pelts for European-manufactured goods that were highly desired in native communities. Axe heads, knives, awls, fish hooks, cloth of various type and color, woolen blankets, linen shirts, kettles, jewelry, glass beads, musket Musket

A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smoothbore [i] long gun [i], which its user generally fires from the should... 

s, ammunition and powder were some of the major items exchanged on a 'per pelt' basis. The trading posts also introduced many types of alcohol for trade. European traders flocked to the contenent and made huge profits off the exchange. A metal axe head, for example, was exchanged for one beaver pelt . The same pelt could fetch enough to buy a dozens of axe heads in England, making the fur trade extremely profitable for the European nations.

Often, the political benefits of the fur trade became more important than the economic aspects. Trade was a way to forge alliances and maintain good relations between different cultures. Consequently, there was much rivalry between different European-American governments for control of the fur trade with the various native societies. Native Americans Native Americans

Native Americans is a term which has several different common meanings and scope, according to regional ... 

 sometimes based decisions of which side to support in time of war upon which side provided them with the best trade goods in an honest manner. Because trade was so politically important, it was often heavily regulated in hopes of preventing abuse. Unscrupulous traders sometimes cheated natives by plying them with alcohol during the transaction, which subsequently aroused resentment and often resulted in violence.

The fur trade came to a close as game was depleted by overhunting. John Jacob Astor John Jacob Astor

John Jacob Astor was the first of the Astor family [i] dynasty and the first millionaire [i] in ... 

  recognized that all fur-bearing animals were becoming scarce and retired in 1834. Expanding European settlement displaced native communities from the best hunting grounds, and demand for furs subsided as European fashion trends shifted. The Native American's Native Americans

Native Americans is a term which has several different common meanings and scope, according to regional ... 

 lifestyle was forever altered by the trade, in order to continue obtaining European goods on which they had become dependent and to pay off their debts, they often resorted to selling land to the European settlers, which caused resentment on the side of the aboriginals , which would help ignite future wars.

After the United States United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 became independent, trading with Native Americans in the U.S. was nominally regulated by the Indian Intercourse Act, first passed on July 22, 1790. The Bureau of Indian Affairs Bureau of Indian Affairs

border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0">
... 

 issued licenses to trade in the Indian Territory Indian Territory

Indian Territory, also known as Indian Country, Indian territory or the Indian territories... 

, which in 1834 consisted of most of the United States west of the Mississippi River Mississippi River

The Mississippi River, derived from the old Ojibwe [i] word misi-ziibi meaning 'grea ... 

, where mountain men Mountain man

Mountain men were trapper [i]s and explorer [i]s that roamed the Rocky Mountains [i] f ... 

 and traders from Mexico Mexico

The United Mexican States, generally known as Mexico is a country [i] located in North America [i] ... 

 freely operated.

Russian fur trade

Before the colonization of the Americas, Russia Russia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country [i] that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia [i] ... 

 was a major fur supplier of Western Europe Western Europe

Western Europe is mainly a socio-political concept coined [i], forged and used during the Cold War [i]. ... 

 and parts of Asia Asia

Asia is the largest and most populous continent [i] or region, depending on the definition.... 

. Fur was a major Russian export since the early middle-ages. Originally the majority of furs exported from Russia were pelts of marten Marten

The Martens constitute the genus [i] Martes within the subfamily [i] Mustelinae [i], in family [i] ... 

s, beaver Beaver

Beavers are semi-aquatic rodent [i]s native to North America [i] and Europe [i]. ... 

s, wolves Gray Wolf

The Gray Wolf is a mammal [i] in the order Carnivora [i]. ... 

, fox Fox

A fox is a member of any of 27 species [i] of small omnivorous [i] canid [i]s. ... 

es, squirrel Squirrel

Squirrel is the common name for rodent [i]s of the family Sciuridae [i] . ... 

s and hare Hare

Hares and jackrabbits are leporid [i]s belonging to the genus [i] Lepus. ... 

s. Between the 16th 16th century

As a means of recording the passage of time [i], the 16th century was that century [i] which lasted from ... 

 and 18th 18th century

As a means of recording the passage of time [i], the 18th century refers to the century [i] that las ... 

 centuries Russians tamed Siberia Siberia

Siberia is a vast region of Russia [i] constituting almost all of Northern Asia [i]. ... 

 — a region rich with various valuable kinds of fur-bearing animals such as arctic fox Arctic fox

The arctic fox , also known as the polar fox, is a small fox [i] native to cold Arctic [i] regions ... 

, sable Sable

The sable is a small mammal [i], closely akin to the marten [i]s, living in northern Asia [i] from the Ural Mountains [i] ... 

, sea otter Sea Otter

[i], from northern [[Japan]... 

 and stoat Stoat

The stoat, also known as the short-tailed weasel, is a small mammal [i] of the family Mustelidae [i]... 

. In search of sea otter the Russian Empire Russian Empire

The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until it was declared a republic in August 1917.
... 

 expanded into the Americas, notably Alaska Alaska

Alaska is a U.S. state [i], located on the northwest tier [i] of North America [i] ... 

. Between the 17th 17th century

As a means of recording the passage of time [i], the 17th century was that century [i] which lasted from ... 

 and second half of the 19th 19th century

The 19th century lasted from 1801 [i] through 1900 [i] in the Gregorian calendar [i].
... 

 century, Russia was the biggest supplier of fur in the world until the U.S. and Canada Canada

Canada is the world's second-largest [i] country by total area, occupying most ... 

 joined the fur market. Fur trade played a vital role in the development of Siberia, the Russian Far East Russian Far East

Russian Far East is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East [i], i.e., extreme east parts ... 

 and the Russian colonization of the Americas. To this day sable is a regional symbol of Ural Sverdlovsk oblast Sverdlovsk Oblast

Sverdlovsk Oblast is a federal subject [i] of Russia [i] located in Urals Federal District [i] ... 

 and Siberian Novosibirsk Novosibirsk Oblast

Novosibirsk Oblast is a federal subject [i] of Russia [i]. ... 

, Tyumen Tyumen Oblast

Tyumen Oblast is a federal subject [i] of Russia [i] in Urals Federal District [i] ... 

 and Irkutsk Irkutsk Oblast

Irkutsk Oblast is a federal subject [i] of Russia [i], located in south-easte ... 

 oblasts Oblast

Oblast refers to a subnational entity [i] in some countries. ... 

 of Russia.

See also

  • Beaver Wars
  • Fur brigade
  • History of Siberia History of Siberia

    The history of Siberia [i] may be traced to the sophisticated nomadic civilizations of the Scythians [i] ... 

  • Hudson's Bay Company Hudson's Bay Company

    The Hudson's Bay Company is the oldest commercial corporation [i] in North America [i] and is one of th ... 

  • Northwest Company North West Company

    Today, the North West Company is a grocery vendor [i] in remote communities across northern Canada [i] ... 

  • Mountain men Mountain man

    Mountain men were trapper [i]s and explorer [i]s that roamed the Rocky Mountains [i] f ... 

  • Manuel Lisa Manuel Lisa

    egory:Fur traders|Lisa, Manuel]] [i]

... 


  • René Auguste Chouteau
  • Coureurs de bois Coureur des bois

    A coureur de bois was an individual who engaged in the fur trade [i] without permission from the French ... 

  • Russian-American Company

References

  • Bernard DeVoto  Across the Wide Missouri.
  • Barbara Huck


Footnotes


External links