history fur trade

What happened as a result of Henry Hudson's 1611 voyage?

Europeans learned about Hudson Bay, starting over 100 years of fur-trade competition.

Which groups competed in the Northwest fur trade?

Britain, France, First Nations, and Métis.

What was the Northwest?

The vast area north and west of Lake Superior.

Who were Radisson and des Groseilliers?

French fur traders who explored inland and promoted trading through Hudson Bay.

What happened during their 1654 expedition?

They traveled inland, established a trading post on Lake Superior, and learned about rich fur regions.

Why did Radisson and des Groseilliers return to Montreal in 1659?

They returned with thousands of furs after nearly starving.

Why did they want to trade through Hudson Bay?

To reduce the cost of transporting furs to Europe.

Why did French authorities punish the two traders?

They traded without licenses and left without permission; their furs were confiscated, and they were fined.

Who helped Radisson and des Groseilliers start trading with Britain?

Prince Rupert financed their expedition after they approached King Charles II's court.

What happened during the 1668 expedition?

The Nonsuch reached James Bay and completed a successful trading expedition; the Eaglet turned back.

When was the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) created?

May 2, 1670.

Who granted the HBC its Royal Charter?

King Charles II of England.

What was the HBC's original full name?

The Company of Adventurers of England Trading into Hudson's Bay.

What did the HBC's Royal Charter give the company?

A fur-trading monopoly, along with wide legal, administrative, and judicial powers.

What was the HBC's main trading territory?

Lands drained by rivers flowing into Hudson Bay, from Quebec to Alberta and south to South Dakota.

What were the HBC's goals?

Find a passage to the South Sea and trade for furs, minerals, and other goods.

Who were Baymen?

HBC employees who worked at trading posts, often as indentured servants.

Where did many Baymen come from?

The Orkney Islands off Scotland.

How did the British and French fur-trading systems differ?

The HBC relied on First Nations bringing furs to bay forts; French traders traveled inland to trade directly.

How did traditional First Nations trading sessions work?

They involved a ceremonial pipe, gift exchanges, and negotiations.

What did First Nations and Europeans gain from early fur trading?

First Nations received European goods; Europeans gained furs and Indigenous knowledge and technology.

What were the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Wars?

Conflicts from 1628–1667 over control of the fur supply.

How did the Haudenosaunee Wars affect the French?

The French lost valuable Huron allies and looked for trading partners farther west.

How did the HBC affect French fur trading after 1670?

Fewer furs reached Montreal, so the French expanded inland and fought HBC competition.

Who were voyageurs?

Licensed French fur traders who traveled inland to trade.

What happened to Port Nelson in 1684?

French forces captured and destroyed the HBC fort.

What was York Factory?

An HBC trading post rebuilt on the Hayes River after Port Nelson was destroyed.

Who was Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville?

A French soldier and sailor who led attacks against British forts on Hudson Bay.

What happened in the Battle of the Pelican in 1697?

The French defeated British ships and captured York Factory.

What did the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) do?

It ended the War of Spanish Succession and made France give up its claims to Hudson Bay.

Who was Pierre de La Vérendrye?

A French-Canadian explorer and fur trader who expanded French trade inland.

What were La Vérendrye's goals?

Find a route to the Pacific and expand the fur trade into the interior.

Which forts did La Vérendrye establish in 1738?

Fort Rouge in Winnipeg and Fort La Reine in Portage la Prairie.

How did French inland trading threaten the HBC?

French traders intercepted furs before they reached HBC forts, reducing HBC profits.

When and where did the HBC build its first inland trading post?

In 1743, at Henley House.

What was a made-beaver?

A prime beaver pelt used as a unit of currency in fur trading.

What was the home guard?

First Nations people who settled near HBC forts, often after working as middlemen.

What was the Custom of the Country?

The practice of French fur traders marrying First Nations women.

How did Métis culture develop?

Through unions between French traders and First Nations women, blending both cultures.

Who were the Country-born?

Children of HBC employees and First Nations women.

What roles did First Nations women play in the fur trade?

They translated, guided, prepared furs, made clothing, gathered food, and supported trading.

Why were kinship connections important in fur trading?

Marriage connected traders to First Nations communities and helped create trading alliances.

What was pemmican?

Dried bison meat mixed with fat and sometimes berries; it was lightweight and lasted a long time.

How did European diseases affect First Nations?

Diseases such as smallpox, influenza, and measles caused major population losses; the 1780–1784 smallpox epidemic wiped out entire communities.

What happened to the fur trade after France surrendered in 1760?

English, Scottish, and American traders took over French routes and increased competition.

Why did the HBC begin expanding inland?

By 1773, York Factory received only 8,000 beaver pelts, down from 30,000 a decade earlier.

Why was the North West Company (NWC) formed in 1779?

Montreal traders joined together to reduce rising transportation costs.

Who were important NWC partners?

Simon McTavish, Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser, and Peter Pond.

How did the NWC compete with the HBC?

It traded directly with First Nations inland and built posts near HBC forts.

What advantages did the NWC have over the HBC?

Active owners and skilled, experienced voyageurs.

Why did the HBC and NWC merge in 1821?

The NWC could no longer afford the rising costs of expanding west.