Canada was built on the fur trade, which supplied European demand for pelts from animals such as the beaver (Castor canadensis) to make hats. They sold furs to three fur trade companies: Hudson’s Bay Company, the North West Company, and the American Fur Company.

What did the fur trade lead to?

The fur trade resulted in many long term effects that negatively impacted Native people throughout North America, such as starvation due to severely depleted food resources, dependence on European and Anglo-American goods, and negative impacts from the introduction of alcohol-which was often exchanged for furs.

Why is beaver fur so valuable?

Beaver fur, which was used in Europe to make felt hats, became the most valuable of these furs. The demand for beaver increased rapidly in the early 1600’s, when fashionable European men began to wear felt hats made from beaver fur. Such furs as fox, marten, mink, and otter also were traded.

Why was the fur trade important to the Indians?

The fur trade began in the 1500’s as an exchange between Indians and Europeans. The Indians traded furs for such goods as tools and weapons. Beaver fur, which was used in Europe to make felt hats, became the most valuable of these furs. The Indians, in turn, gave pelts to the French.

Who was the first fur trader in North America?

The Fur Trade. The earliest fur traders in North America were French explorers and fishermen who arrived in what is now Eastern Canada during the early 1500’s. Trade started after the French offered the Indians kettles, knives, and other gifts as a means to establish friendly relations.

Who are the people in the fur trade?

In the early years of the fur trade, some French, Scottish, and Irish traders married Cree, Anishinabé, or Saulteaux women. Their children and their children’s children were the Métis people. Some

When did the fur trade return to the Great Lakes?

The fur trade was restored in 1715, and although colonial officials in New France tried to curb the emigration of young Frenchmen into the Great Lakes region, these efforts bore no fruit. This particularly bothered officials in New France because the coureurs de bois usually sold their furs to English traders at Albany.