Chapter 4: The Fur Trade

Focus Questions

• How did economic competition shape the fur trade?
• What roles did French, British, First Nations and Métis peoples play in the fur trade?
• What impacts did the fur trade have on diverse peoples?

Economic Competition and the Fur Trade

What is Competition?

Is competition good or bad?

What are some of the bad aspects of competition?

How can competition be used to encourage positive results?

     Aside from creating economic competition throughout the land, competition also had an affect on the people involved. To help us understand the impact, the fur trade has been broken into 5 phases.

Phase 1 -  

Phase 2 -  

Phase 3 -  

Phase 4 -  

Phase 5 -  

Phase 1: The Early Fur Trade 1500 - 1603

• Fishers from France, England, Spain and Portugal trade with First Nations

     When the British first arrived to_____________, they would come ashore to ______ their fish.  This was the first interaction between the ____________ and the ____________.  Even though permanent settlements were not established, the trading began amongst the two societies.  Because the French used _______ to prepare their fish for shipping, there was no reason for them to come to shore except to refresh water supplies.  

    By _______, Cartier worked to establish some form of trading with the First Nations, eventually trading with the ______________ (near what is now Québec City)

Items that were traded:  

Phase 2: Expansion Inland 1603 - 1670

The French continued to establish strong relationships with the First Nations.  The______________ of New France was based around the fur trade network.  Their trade route took them from the ________________________, up the ________________________________________ to ________________________ and then onto _________________________.  The goods from France were taken off ships in Québec City and transported by small boats to Montréal for ________________________.  The Anishinabe were further ______________  than most of the First Nations which led the _________________to become the middlemen between the French and the Anishinabe.

The French - Haudenosaunee War

   It is __________________  exactly why this war started.  Some believe it was because of France and the fur trade, while others feel the French became involved in an on-going ______________ between the _________________________________  and other First Nation fur trade ______________.

What Happened As a Result

1. Haudenosaunee gained support from the _______________, then the _____________

• This caused a _________________ in the domination of the fur trade

2. The Haudenosaunee ________________  the Ouendat, removing the middleman (1649)
3. By 1701, military action forced the Haudenosaunee to seek a _____________ with the French and the Anishinabe

    With the loss of a __________________, a new partner was needed to assist in the trading of the furs.  The ______________________  were given opportunities as independent traders, bringing the goods to the French ships.  Similar to today's practices, these middlemen were paid a portion of the goods/sales.  Eventually, trading posts became the _______________ _____________ ______________ and the practice of the coureur de bois became illegal.

    Think about the purpose of the Alberta Fisheries and Wildlife.  What is the purpose of this important Office?

Similar to what we see happening today, eventually the furs and food became scarce with over trapping and hunting.  This pushed the middlemen further west in search of new regions to trade with.

Homework

Read page 113 and 114.  Respond to questions 1,3, and 4 on page 114.  This assignment is found on See Saw - Page 113 - 114.

Phase 3:  Rival Networks (1670 - 1760)

The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) was established in ________.  In order to ______________ with the French in the fur trade, the British needed to set up the company.  Britain offered groups of ___________________ a monopoly to ________________ in a claimed area of Rupert's Land.  

Cree and Nakoda Middle Men Emerged

The new company looked for _______________  to work between the ___________  along the Hudson Bay and the First Nations people to the _________.

Groups that worked with both the French and the British

Groups that worked only with the French

Voyageurs

Once the Ouendent were defeated, New France needed to find ______  __________ to continue with the ______________.  They established ___________ between Montréal and the Great Lakes region.  They hired men to canoe between each settlement, called ____________________.  These men were an ________________ part of the French fur trade.

Francophone Métis

Early on, the French developed strong cross-cultural relationships with the First Nations.  This is where the French term métis (mixed) originated.

Scottish Métis

The British hired many from the Scotland's Orkney Island to travel between their posts and the First Nations.  These men were use to  Hudson Bay's ________________  _____________________ as it __________________ that of their home territory.  HBC did not encourage cross-cultural marriages, as did the French, but these relationships ________________ all the same.

Assignment

Read page 118 and 119 as a class

Respond to the questions on page 119 as a class.  Use space below to complete the questions.

1. Economic competition became a central feature of the fur trade during phase 3, from 1670 to 1760.

1. How did the fur trade help to build connections among diverse people (different cultures)?

2. How did the fur trade create conflicts amongst the diverse peoples?

3. Based on our lists, do you believe that economic competition made coexistence easier or harder to achieve among diverse peoples?

2.  a)  How did geography affect Britain's choice for a fur trade territory for the Hudson's Bay Company?  Consider that Britain defined Rupert's Land as the territory containing rivers that drained into Hudson Bay.  

      b) Why was the connection between the rivers and the bay important?

Phase 4:  The Drive West (1760 - 1821)

New France became part of the British colony

Think back to what each nation wanted from the new land

With New France being part of the British _________________ system, a big ________________  change took place.  Due to the______________ ____________________  by the British, the fur trade industry was eventually _____________________ in the east and the people who were part of this moved off the land.

The North West Company (NWC) was established

To help __________________  their odds of success in the trading of furs, the _____________________  people who were against the monopoly established the ________.   This new business forced HBC and NWC to both push ___________  in search of __________ _____________  and new First Nations contacts.

A trade in pemmican developed

With _______________ ___________________  to travel, the voyageurs, traders and freighters were looking for food that could last the journey.  Both the Métis and First Nations people introduced __________________ to the travelers.  

Describe in your own words, what pemmican is

Territorial expansions occurred

During the western expansion of the fur trade, the people who worked with the fur trade moved with it.   The shift is ________________  when you compare the two maps below.  The ____________, _________________ and _________________________ expanded their area further west, while the_____________________________ ___________________ set up a central position for the NWC at the ___________ _______________.

Over time, the _________________  were fundamental in ____________________  the distinct ________________  at the Red River.  Working as interpreters, guides, traders, provisioners and carters, this unique group were able to ____________  the elements of the traditional rich heritages of both the ______________  and ____________ cultures.

____________________  continued to convert First Nations to Christianity as they moved west with the trade.

Assignment

Read Métis Farms along the Red River on page 124.  Compare this image with that on page 94 explaining how the seigneuries were established.

Compare both these images to how farms land was originally set up in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Alberta Genealogical Society

The Administration of Land in Saskatchewan

Think Pair Share

Name:  _______________________

Phase 4 Assignment:  Seigneuries and Métis Farm Fields VS Prairie Farm Fields

Respond to the following questions:

1.  What do you think the purpose of establishing long and narrow fields (seigneury arrangement), with access to the fields would be?

2.  Why do you think Saskatchewan and Alberta were not divided in a similar fashion, when land grants were being issued?

3.  Which do you think is a better way to divide the land?

1. Using the chart below, outline what the pros and cons might be to both styles of land settling.  
2. AFTER you have analyzed your chart, determine what form of division is best.  When you write your response, you must include reasons why you think one is better than the other, by including supporting material from what you thought.

Phase 5:  Monopoly in the West

Read page 130 - 132 as a class

There are 3 key events that took place during Phase 5:

1.  The ______ and ______ merged to end a conflict between the two companies that caused many fights and hostage takings.

merged -

2.  The HBC began to _____ ___________ of its monopoly:

The British were worried the  _____________ would try and gain control of _________ __________ after a lost court case between HBC and the independent Métis traders.

3.  The trade began to _________ in the west:

With_________________, many animals began to _______________, as well as a _____________ in demand for furs by the _________________.  HBC negotiated the sale of Rupert's Land to_________________.