The Fur Trade

Unintended Consequences

• History is full of _________________ consequences:

– In 1611, Henry Hudson sought a passage to _____________ through the Arctic

– He failed, but Europeans became aware of the Hudson Bay which set the stage for a fierce _______________ within the fur trade that would last more than 100 years and that would involve across the Northwest: • Britain• France• First Nations• Metis

– As rival fur traders tried to outdo one another and increase their profits, they _______________ and _______________ the continent

The Rise of the HBC

• But first a reminder:– In the early 1600s, the French established __________________ and the British

established the _______________– The _______________: the vast area to the north and west of Lake Superior– After 1670, the French began to travel west more frequently to find new

sources of fur and began building more fur-trade _______________– The British also saw the potential of the fur trade and soon both British and

French were sending _______________ of beaver pelts back to Europe – The competition between Britain and France, already active in Europe and

the colonies, became _______________• Both countries wanted to control North America and its _______________

The Beginnings of the HBC

• In _________, Medard Chouart Des Groseilliers and his brother-in-law Pierre Esprit Radisson made a trip from Quebec to the interior

• The two coureurs de bois set up the first trading post on Lake _______________• While there, Native peoples told them of the vast fur-trading regions to the north

and west (around ___________________)• In 1659, after a winter of near starvation Radisson and Groseilliers returned to

_____________

• They had thousands of furs with a plan to set up a trading __________ on Hudson Bay – It would reduce the ____________ of

transporting furs from the Northwest to Europe and they hoped the French king would sponsor their scheme

• Quite the opposite happened• Because they had left the colony without

permission and were trading without _______________, their furs were confiscated, Groseilliers was put in jail, and they were both fined

Radisson and Groseilliers Turn To England

• Radisson and Groseilliers next decided to try their idea with the _______________ and in 1665, they presented their plan to the court of King Charles II – He agreed to support their plan

• The king's cousin, Prince Rupert of the Rhine, _______________ the journey

• The British acquired two ships, the _______________ and the Eaglet and set sail from England in June 1668

• The Eaglet, carrying Radisson, was forced to turn back off the coast of Ireland, but the Nonsuch reached __________________

• After a successful trading expedition over the winter of 1668-1669, the Nonsuch returned to _______________

Monopoly

• The expedition was a success and the King granted a charter to Prince Rupert and his partners on May 2, _______________

• In the charter, the "Company of Adventurers of England Trading into Hudson's Bay," better known as the Hudson's Bay Company (________), were given a _______________ over the fur trade in all the land whose rivers drained into Hudson Bay – This was a massive geographical area

stretching from modern day Quebec in the east, Alberta in the west, and South Dakota to the south

• The monopoly also gave the company wide _______________ and _______________ powers over the area, as well as complete administrative and judicial control

Consider the Following:

1. Imagine you are a member of the French Royal Court at the time of the founding of the Hudson's Bay Company. How might you characterize the role played by Radisson and Groseilliers?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. How are the French fur traders going to respond to this land grant?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Company of Adventurers

• In the seventeenth century, British businesses were expanding around the world and N.A. was seen as a potential source of _______________

• HBC policies were set in _______________ • By __________, trading forts were operating at Rupert River, Moose Factory, Albany

Factory, and Port Nelson

Baymen

• Although the HBC was headquartered in London, the real adventurers of the company were its employees, the __________

• Most of the early HBC employees were ______________ servants – They received food, drink, clothing, lodging, and their

transportation to the Hudson Bay– Many Baymen were from the Orkney Islands off the

coast of Scotland

The Mission of the HBC

• As detailed in the HBC charter, the purposes of the company were to be "for the Discovery of a new Passage into the _______________, and for the finding some Trade for Furs, Minerals, and other considerable _______________."

• In exchange for these duties, the charter granted the Adventurers:

the sole Trade and Commerce of all those Seas, Streights, Bays, Rivers, Lakes, Creeks, and Sounds... that lie within the entrance of the Streights commonly called Hudson's Streights, together with all the Lands, Countries and Territories, upon the Coasts and Confines of the Seas, Streights, Bays, Lakes, Rivers, Creeks and Sounds... which are not now actually possessed by any of our Subjects, or by the Subjects of any other Christian Prince or State

British vs. French System

• The territory of the Hudson's Bay Company's monopoly was enormous, at least in theory (In reality, the HBC _____________ only a small area near Hudson Bay)

• The British fur-trade system depended on First Nations people bringing furs to the ____________ along the Bay – as long as the fur _____________

was steady, the Company saw little need to expand inland

• French fur traders were more willing to _______________ to their First Nations trading partners, bringing the furs back to French posts themselves

Trade with First Nations

• First Nations peoples had their own network of _______________ relationships prior to European contact– The new relationship with the

Europeans initially fit into traditional trading patterns

• Before long, a protocol developed with the HBC's First Nations trading partners– Annual trading sessions began with the passing of a ceremonial

_____________, which was left at the fort to indicate they would return the following year

– A ritual exchange of _______________ took place – Then the traders began their _______________

The Benefits of Trade

• Both Europeans and First Nations people ________ during the early years of the trade– First Nations people received new trade goods, such as _______________ tools – Europeans received __________, and _______________ and _______________ to

help them live and travel in North America

European Rivalries

• Between 1688 and 1763, Britain and France were frequently at war as they built their _______________

• Both countries wanted North America's abundant natural ____________ for themselves – Business interests in North America and the empire building goals of

European countries were _______________

France vs. Britain Part 1

• In the early 1600s, the French _______________ the North American fur trade– The St. Lawrence River gave them Atlantic access to the ______ of the

continent – _______________ prospered as the main fur depot

• Between 1640 and 1670, two events directly motivated French expansion into the Northwest

French Expansion

1. The Haudenosaunee (_______________) Wars. – The Iroquois (allied with the British in the 13 Colonies) defeated the

___________ in order to control the supply of fur – Having lost their valuable fur-trade allies the French were forced to seek

trading partners farther _______________2. The second event that prompted the French to expand west was the creation of

the _________ in _______________. – The HBC's impact was felt as early as 1671, when French fur traders noticed

less furs reaching Montreal– The French responded with _______________ toward First Nations and an

aggressive _______________ policy to try to eliminate the HBC

Consider the Following:

• The French and British competed with each other to win over more First Nations trading partners than their rivals

1. What methods do you think they used? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What effect do you think this competition had on First Nations?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Voyageurs

• In 1681, French authorities began giving _______________ to coureurs de bois

• These licensed traders were known as _______________

The Battle For the Bay

• In the 30 years following the creation of the HBC, the French tried to _______________ the HBC forts along the Bay– The First HBC headquarters on the

Bay was established at Port Nelson in – The French quickly responded by

sending a naval force to capture and destroy the fort in 1684

• The HBC then relocated and rebuilt the fort on the Hayes River, and called it _______________

Iberville

• When war broke out in Europe in 1688, the British and French regularly _______________ and _________ each other's fur-trading posts – Both Moose Factory and Rupert House fell

to the French– Pierre Le Moyne _______________, a career

soldier and sailor was appointed commander-in-chief of Hudson Bay by the French and was sent to capture York Factory

The Pelican

• In the spring of _______, the French sent a large fleet to Hudson Bay where the ships became trapped in the ice

• Under the command of d'Iberville, the forty-four-gun _______________ broke free and made its way to the mouth of the Hayes River

• The French ship was soon __________________ by a British frigate, the Hampshire, and two armed freighters, the Deringand the Hudson's Bay– The British fired the first shot and the

Pelican was hit broadside. • The subsequent battle raged for close to

_______________• In the end, one British ship was sunk, one had

surrendered, and the other had retreated. – The Pelican was tattered, but ___________

• d’Iberville's French force captured York Factory

The French Win… Wait…For How long?

• France had _______________ won the battle for the Bay

• Then, in ______, the British and French signed the Treaty of Utrecht ending the War of Spanish Succession

• As part of the agreement, the _______________ gave up all claims to Hudson Bay• Consequently French had to focus their plans for fur-trade expansion on territories

in the _______________

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=new+france+1712+map&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http://ns1763.ca/remem/7yw-timeline-w.html&ei=180rVf-bGpOLyATLwYCwDQ&bvm=bv.90491159,d.cGU&psig=AFQjCNED-EuyeGcSHhVjzymwff7EatpeJA&ust=1429020478614789

Consider the Following:

1. In today’s Canada, who might consider Iberville a hero?___________________________________________________________________

2. Why?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________France vs. Britain Part 2

• In 1730, New France funded an expedition by Pierre de __________________ find a route to the Pacific Ocean as well as to extend the fur trade into the interior of the continent– La Verendrye was the Canadian-born and had

served in the French army abroad – Upon returning to Canada, had become a fur

trader and farmer. • La Verendrye was given the fur trade monopoly for the

areas which he _______________

The La Verendryes

• La Verendrye left Montreal on June 8, _________, with a group that included three of his sons

• He built a series of fur-trading posts that became an important _______________ of French operations in the West– In 1738, La Verendrye established a fort at Fort _______________ (Winnipeg)

and Fort La _______________ (Portage la Prairie) – From Fort La Reine, La

Verendrye travelled through Lake Manitoba, Lake Winnipegosis, Lake Winnipeg, and the Saskatchewan River

– He established Fort _______________, Fort _______________ (Grand Rapids), and Fort ______________ (The Pas)

– Two of his sons reached as far west as the _______________

• He also explored North and South Dakota, setting the stage for New France's significant ___________ growth

Trade Pushes Inland Expansion

• La Verendryes established a pattern for Montreal's inland trade and French became strong ____________ for the British

• Instead of waiting at their posts the French _________________ First Nations in their own territory which eliminated the considerable work of hauling furs to Hudson Bay

• The voyageurs _____________ many furs on their way to the Bay by intercepting First Nations traders on their journey north

• HBC shareholders in London were furious at the drop in _______________ and the HBC realized that it needed to move inland in order to compete– In 1743, the HBC built its first inland post at Henley House

First Nations Role in the Fur Trade

• The fur trade in North America began with the earliest _______________ between First Nations people and Europeans

• First Nations traders used British-French _______________ to their advantage, frequently demanding better terms

• From the beginning, First Nations people eagerly sought European goods

• The unit of _______________ in the fur trade was one "made-beaver," a prime beaver pelt that had been worn until most of the beaver's long outer hair had been worn off

Value of Supplies in Beaver Pelts Supplies

1 beaver pelt 2.25 kg of sugar

12 beaver pelts 1 gun

1 beaver pelt 2 scissors

1 beaver pelt 20 fish hooks

1 beaver pelt 1 pair of shoes

Role of First Nations in the HBC

• First Nations Peoples acted HBC _______________ until the 1720s – They _______________ upstream, especially along the Saskatchewan River,

trading for furs with other First Nations – They then _______________ these furs to the trading posts on Hudson Bay

• Many middlemen and their families began to _______________ near the HBC forts and became what were known as the home guard

• Some First Nations people _______________ for the traders, hunting, paddling supply canoes, and making snowshoes

Consider the Following

1. How do you think the cultures of the home guard changed as the people began living in permanent or semi-permanent villages near the HBC forts?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Custom of the Country

• Even after the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht the voyageurs continued to travel, trade, and live in the _______________– They were more at home among First

Nations __________________ than in the villages of New France

• Many French traders took First Nations women as wives in a formal process known as the ________________________________– First Nations had a tradition of building

_______________ with other communities through marriages

– The fur traders and their masters in Montreal also ___________________ these relationships

The Metis

• French officials believed the marriages would _______________ friendships and trade and _______________ aboriginals

• To the surprise and dismay of French authorities many of their French traders began adopting First Nations ways of life instead

• In time, a new culture and people arose from these unions: the _______________• Metis children were raised with elements of both French and First Nations

_______________ and were immersed in the fur trade culture and economy

The Metis Nation

• Metis children were raised within a ___________ culture and over time Metis communities began to emerge, especially near the _________– The Metis culture was born of the

French fur trade • Metis people _______________

cultural gaps, creating better trading relationships.

• They played a special and vital role in the fur trade

Country-Born

• In contrast, early on the HBC strictly _______________ its employees from marrying First Nations women – However, this rule was regularly violated by HBC employees

• By the 1740s the HBC acknowledged the limits of its control and eased off its rule • HBC employee families began to settle around HBC forts and became a significant

part of the ___________________• The children of the Baymen and First Nations women were known as

_______________• Country-born families developed a culture that was _______________ from that of the

French Metis

Consider the Following:

• Some Europeans stayed with their First Nations wives only as long as their __________ in the Northwest, while others formed _______________ bonds– Many voyageurs, in particular, retired to live with their wife, children, and

their wife's extended family• In the early days of the HBC fur trade, First Nations wives occasionally

accompanied their husbands to Britain when the men _______________ from the fur trade, however most husbands returned to Britain alone

1. What does this tell you about the Custom of the Country?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________First Nations Women’s Role in the Fur Trade

– Translated, and acted as intermediaries in trade sessions– provided food, – prepared furs for travel– gathered supplies for canoe repairs

– padded – acted as guides– raised families – made moccasins, – netted snowshoes – cleaned and tanned pelts– snared rabbits and small game – collected berries – tended gardens – Fished– dried fish and preserved other food – helped make pemmican

Kinship Connections

• In traditional First Nations societies, ____________________ were key and until they were established, business could not be done

• By marrying into a First Nations community, a fur trader established a _____________ relationship with everyone in that community and, by extension, to other communities as well

• These kinship relationships opened the door to _______________ partnerships

Pemmican

• Pemmican consists of dried _______________ meat mixed with fat and sometimes berries – It is light to transport and keeps well without ___________

• This food, long a _______________ in the diet of many First Nations, would eventually become the main food of all fur traders

Disease

• As fur traders moved west, they carried _______________: – smallpox, influenza, measles, scarlet fever.

• First Nations in the east had already been devastated by these diseases, but Western First Nations, were _________________ as the fur trade expanded– From 1780 to 1784, a major smallpox epidemic spread throughout First

Nations in the West wiping out entire _______________

Conflict Among First Nations

• As it had near the eastern Great Lakes, the _______________ distribution of firearms among First Nations resulted in deadly conflicts between communities– Communities with guns had a major military _______________

The Fur Trade without France

• When the French surrendered in _______ the HBC believed the fall of New France would mean the end of French competition for the fur trade

• They expected that the _______________ of their fur trade monopoly would begin– This expectation, however, did not come to pass

Vacuum

• After the fall of New France, the northwestern fur trade became, in many ways, a free-for-all as ____________________ English, Scottish and Yankee traders rushed to Montreal to take over the _______________ French trade routes – They ignored the HBC charter and many _______________ continued in the fur

trade, selling their furs to English, Scottish, or Yankee traders• They formed several __________ companies that fought to dominate the Montreal

trade

The Competition Heats Up

• The Montreal based approach to the fur trade was highly _______________– In 1773, York Factory (HBC) received 8000 beaver, down from 30 000 the

decade before– This drop in furs reaching the Bay prompted the HBC to take action, pushing

inland _______________

The North West Company

• By the 1770s, the Montreal-based fur trade extended as far northwest west as Lake Athabasca- _______________ from Montreal– Transportation _______________ were

mounting and the major Montreal operators began working together to save costs

• In ______, several of these operators formed the _____________________________ (NWC)– The NWC was led by several

businessmen of varying backgrounds including Simon McTavish

– Among the other shareholders were Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser, and Peter Pond, all fur traders and three of Canada's best-known explorers

NWC vs. HBC

• The _______ had 23 partners, but more than 2000 guides, interpreters, and voyageurs

• McTavish and other Scots _______________ married French Canadian women and French Canadians played key roles in the company

• The company's blend of _______________ and _______________ cultures kept it distinct from the more conservative, cautious HBC

• The NWC became known for its bold and _______________ approach to business• The company motto was

“_____________”The Pattern of Expansion

• The NWC _______________ to recognize the HBC monopoly in Rupert’s Land and the HBC had no way to _______________ it

• The ___________________ - as the NWC traders came to be known- continued the French pattern of travelling to First Nations to trade with them, and the HBC was forced to adopt similar _______________– Both companies _______________ their

operations farther and farther west to keep ahead of the other– They built fur trading posts next door to each other

The NWC’s Competitive Advantage

• The North West Company _______________ the fur trade until it _______________ with the HBC in 1821

• The NWC had several competitive advantages – The NWC was owned and operated by men who were themselves

_______________ in the business– The NWC also had the benefit of its skilled and experienced _______________

The HBC Model

• In contrast, the HBC's directors and investors were primarily English noblemen and financiers who governed the company from _______________– Their interest in the business was overwhelmingly _______________– Few had much knowledge of the lands and people from which their furs

came

So….Who Won?

• As we will see later, this ______________ became increasingly bitter, fierce, and violent

• By the early 1800s the companies were essentially at ___________ (literally) with one another

• However, oddly enough, the 2 companies merged in _________• Why?

– The NWC could not sustain the rising _______________ of pushing further and further west in search of furs

– They were broke and had no choice

• More to come later….

Canada- A People’s History: The PathfindersNOR’WESTERS – How did the Hudson’s Bay Co. respond to the competition provided by the Northwest Co.?

VOYAGEURS – Write a description of the voyageurs and their working conditions/hazards.

THE WINTERER – Describe the origins of the Metis people.

Who Wants to Be a Voyageur?

In this assignment you will create a 2 sided, 6 panel brochure profiling the career of a voyageur working for the North West Company in Canada’s fur trade industry.

Your first step will be to research and collect information about the voyageurs. Listed below are topics to explore in further detail using the websites provided.

daily activities dietssocial groupings / divisions working conditionsphysical characteristics hardshipstransportation leisure activities.

With your research and note taking complete, choose a brochure template from Microsoft Word or Microsoft Publisher and begin reorganizing your research into a finished product. Be sure to include graphics and images to supplement your text. Ensure that your information is paraphrased from the original text found in the source websites.

The following websites will help provide some insight into the voyageurs

http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/nwc/toolbar_1.htm ……..click on history and then navigate to The Voyageurs & The Canoe

Voyageurs Problems in the New France Fur Trade http://www.civilization.ca/vmnf/popul/coureurs/miseries.htm

More details about the Voyageur and their transportation network http://www.canadianvoyageur.com/history.html

Voyageur games http://www.whiteoak.org/learning/catmouse.shtml

Fur Trade Time LineYour Task:

1. Go to the following website- http://www.redlakemuseum.com/uploads/2/9/6/8/29683319/furtradetimeline.pdf

2. Fill in the timeline on this page chronologically (it is a timeline after all). You must include the events of: 1534, 1608, 1610, 1659, 1666, 1667, 1668, 1669, 1670, 1670s, 1680s, 1684, 1713, 1743, 1756, 1763, 1768, 1776, 1779, 1793. As you read the online timeline, pay attention to the pictures that accompany the descriptions. They give a visual reference to the events of that time. Cross reference these dates switch your notes to enrich your description of the events of that date.

You will be marked as follows: 1.0 marks for correctly filling in the date of the event and a concise, high quality description of the SIGNIFICANCE of that date. 1.0 x 20 dates = 20 marks total