THE EARLY FUR TRADE. Coureur de Bois & The Exploration of Canada

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1 THE EARLY FUR TRADE Coureur de Bois & The Exploration of Canada

2 BIG QUESTIONS What was traded in the Fur Trade? Who benefitted from it? How did the Fur Trade help expand New France?

3 FURS: THE REASON FOR IT ALL Furs were such a desirable commodity in Europe that they were what made settlement in Canada profitable All early settlement was done by private monopolies on behalf of France Private Fur Trapping was made illegal While initially producing furs was the main goal of settlement, the governments of the colony eventually found it a necessary nuisance Wanted to shift towards agriculture, but furs were more profitable

4 HATS & THE FOUNDATION OF CANADA Fur hats became very trendy in Europe starting in about the 1550 s into the 1800 s Beaver was the most desirable for hat making Felt was made from Beaver pelts through the use of mercury Mad as a Hatter Variety of styles existed from 3 Corner Hats to top hats Felt was a very flexible material which made it ideal

5 COUREUR DE BOIS To explore the continent, and to learn about France s trading partners Samuel de Champlain sent a group of young men to live with the surrounding First Nations Called Coureurs de Bois These men learned how to survive in the wilderness & began exploring westward They would spend the year trapping furs, and trading with 1st Nations, before return to Quebec to sell what they d caught for a profit Most of their trapping was illegal as it broke the monopoly of the companies in New France Predeccessors to the Voyageurs

6 ETIENNE BRULE Probably the most famous of the Coureur de Bois He came out with Champlain on his first expedition Lived with the Wendat People for several years and learned their way of life He then acted as a guide and interpeter for Champlain Eventually began exploring the interior of Canada becoming the first European to explore the Great Lakes Was banned from New France after the Jesuits and Champlain felt he had become too savage after adopting the Wendat way of life Brule returned to the New World working for England and acted as a guide for the English force that captured Quebec Spent the rest of his life living among the Wendat

7 TRADE GOODS Europeans traded a variety of good to the First Nations peoples but popular items included Iron tools & Axes Beads/ Decorative Glass Firearms & Blackpowder Copper Kettles Blankets Alcohol & Tobacco First Nations largely traded fur, usually beaver

8 EFFECTS ON FIRST NATIONS The fur trade did have a positive effect on the First Nations in some way They were equal trading partners who gained goods that helped them live comfortably Beads, glass & iron tools led to a huge increase in the production of First Nations art However, it also had often unintended negative effects The fur trade spread diseases It also created an alternative economy that corroded the First Nations traditional way of life Hunted the Beaver almost to extinction in Eastern Canada

9 DRIVING NEW FRANCE WEST The fur trade also played the key role of pushing Europeans westward across Canada Coureur de Bois were the first as they set out looking for furs beyond the reach of the colonial government However, as the beaver population out East are reduced, everyone has to move West in search of better stock Over time New France establishes a series of forts all across the Mid-West The companies themselves begin moving west, and using fur brigades of voyageurs to move furs back to Quebec

10 LOOKING AHEAD: COMPETITION As the fur trade became more profitable it would see greater competition between Europeans, especially between England & France The Hudsons Bay Company representing England will provide heavy competition for the French North-West Company Both private companies will play a major role in exploring and settling Canada

11 CONCLUSION The fur trade played a central role in the providing the French a reason for settlement in Canada It established long term relations between the French & First Nations peoples It was key in driving French westward expansion