Why were fur traders so important to the Oregon Trail?
It was fur traders who explored the region, developed relations with the resident Native nations, and inadvertently opened the floodgates of emigration on the Oregon Trail that enabled the United States to gain control of the Pacific Northwest south of the 49th parallel.
What was the fur trade in Oregon?
The fur trade in Oregon was started in 1778 by Captain Cook trading for sea otter. The Spanish traded from California. The Russians traded the Pacific coast under the auspices of the Russian-American Company. Americans, called Bostons by the natives, entered the fur trade in 1790.
What did the traders do in the fur trade?
They harvested a wide variety of furs (beaver being the most valuable) in the region’s woodlands and waterways. In exchange for these furs, French, British, and US traders provided goods such as blankets, firearms and ammunition, cloth, metal tools, and brass kettles.
Who was the famous fur trader?
Index of names of notable figures in the fur trade
| Name | Company or Other Information | Years In Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Kenneth McKenzie | NWC/Columbia Fur/American Fur | 1820-1830 and beyond |
| Donald Mckinzie | NWC/Pacific Fur/Hudson’s Bay | 1800-1840 |
| Robert McKnight | Sante Fe | 1812 |
| DR. John McLoughlin | Hudsons Bay-Chief Factor | 1825-1846 |
What did John Jacob Astor?
John Jacob Astor, (born July 17, 1763, Waldorf, Ger. —died March 29, 1848, New York, N.Y., U.S.), fur magnate and founder of a renowned family of Anglo-American capitalists, business leaders, and philanthropists. His American Fur Company is considered the first American business monopoly.
What are two reasons why the fur trade ended in the Pacific Northwest?
After 1833, the aggressive trapping of the Bay Company and the subsequent decline of beaver populations, competition among the various firms engaged in the trade and a shift in public preference away from fur clothing, particularly hats, vastly reduced profitability. The fur trade declined after 1840.
Why did fur trading move to the Pacific Northwest?
Furs from the entire Far West of North America made their way to Asian and European markets by way of the Columbia River and the Pacific Northwest. Reinforcing the pattern established by the maritime fur trade, the land-based fur trade linked the Pacific Northwest as a resource hinterland to markets across the globe.
How many Beavers died during the fur trade?
Others prefer dynamite. Two hundred plus years of the fur trade killed off beaver populations—40 to 60 million beavers basked in North America in the 19th century before hunters massacred them for hats and perfume.
Who was considered the greatest fur trapper and hunter of all?
Jim Bridger. In 1822, 18-year-old Jim Bridger joined up with the Rocky Mountain Fur Company on a trapping expedition along the Missouri River.
Why was the fur trade important to the Oregon Trail?
It was fur traders who explored the region, developed relations with the resident Native nations, and inadvertently opened the floodgates of emigration on the Oregon Trail that enabled the United States to gain control of the Pacific Northwest south of the 49th parallel.
When did the fur trade begin in North America?
Beginning well before 1600, the North American fur trade was the earliest global economic enterprise. Europeans and, later, Canadians and Americans, hunted and trapped furs; but success mandated that traders cultivate and maintain dense trade and alliance networks with Native nations.
What was the history of the Oregon Trail?
From a biblical sense, it started with Cain and Abel. The history of the Oregon, Mormon, and California trails cannot be separated from the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade. Mountain men not only trapped and explored the way West, with the exception of the Mormon Trail, mountain men led the first wagon trains over the trails.
Where was the re-supply point for the Oregon Trail?
Fort Vancouver was the main re-supply point for nearly all Oregon trail travelers until U.S. towns could be established. The HBC established Fort Colvile in 1825 on the Columbia River near Kettle Falls as a good site to collect furs and control the upper Columbia River fur trade.