Fur Trade In Minnesota

Review of Mr. Beckman’s Voyageur Presentation

Fur Trade time period 1770-1840

The fur trade began because of men’s fashions in Europe. Men were wearing top hats made of beaver fur. These hats cost the average worker 6 months of their wages, so only the rich purchased new beaver top hats.

The main company in Minnesota was the Northwest company with it’s headquarters in Montreal. Grand Portage Minnesota was the

meeting place each July.

Trade routesBecause Minnesota has only 5 months of ice free

water it was necessary to use a two voyageur system. Each April canoe men leave Montreal with canoes of trade goods and the North men

leave their post in the interior with their canoes of furs. They each paddle and portage until they reach Grand Portage around July to exchange

goods and furs for another year of trading.

The Upper ClassThe fur trader was the man in charge. He was called

the “Bourgeois” by his workers. He risked his money in hopes of turning a large profit. He hired all the workers, bore the responsibility of the business by doing the actual trading. He needed to balance his

gifts to the Native Americans with the goods used to barter for the furs. He also served as a doctor even

though traders rarely had any medical skill. His assistant was known as a “commis” or clerk. The

trader would have a clerk at each of his posts to keep accounts and carry on the trade there.

Working Class

The North man is the experienced voyageur. He is an expert woodsman and canoeist. He is a laborer as well, building the fur post, carrying messages, delivering goods, encouraging the Native Americans to hunt, fixing canoes, and

maintaining the post. He sees himself as superior to the canoe men. A “capote” is the type of coat

he wears, made from a blanket. His hat is called a “toque”. After crossing into the “Northwest” he is

allowed to wear a red feather in his hat and was refered to as a “Nor’wester”from then on.

Working ClassThe canoe men’s job is to paddle the canoes of

goods from Montreal to Grand Portage and back. Where the river is too dangerous he must

“portage” or carry the goods and canoes to safe water. To support his back and stomach muscles he wears a sash, a symbol of the voyageur. He paddles 16 to 18 hours a day and survives on 2 meals a day usually of peas and pork fat, hence

the nick name,”Pork Eater”.

Native American ManThe Native American mans main job is to hunt and gather the furs. His trapping skills and knowledge of the forest make him the best person for the job.

He may also be the hunter for a fur post. This means he supplies the post with meat. Since there

is not much in the way of preserving meat he needs to supply the post with fresh meat daily. He

also may serve as a guide or interpreter.

Native American WomanThe Native American woman has a very

important role. She cleans and prepares the pelts. If she doesn’t do a good job the fur is worthless.

She also may be a guide, interpreter, cook, seamstress or canoe builder. She may marry a

fur trader or clerk and become a more respected member of the community and have a better

selection of goods. This also means everyone in her village will bring all the furs to her husbands

post.

Native American Trade GoodsThe Native Americans brought furs of many kinds to trade, beaver being the most valuable. All other furs and goods were valued in beaver skins. Other furs brought in were fisher, otter, mink, bear, deer,

fox, muskrat, badger, raccoon, rabbit and even skunk! Other items the Native American brought to trade were the meat from the animals, wild rice, gum gum and spruce roots for canoe repair, snow

shoes, leather goods and canoes.

European Trade Goods

European traders brought many things the Native Americans desired. Things such as, metal

cookware, wool blankets, traps, metal axes, files, knives, silver jewelry, glass beads, cotton calico cloth, flint and steel, muskets, shot and powder. Some of the trade goods caused problems for the Native Americans such as, tobacco, and alcohol. Rum or high wines became as the expected way

to seal the deal.

Types of CanoesThere were 3 main sizes of canoes used in the fur

trade. The smallest was called the Ojibway canoe. It was 10 to 12 feet long, paddled by 1 or

2 people and used on small lakes and rivers.

The most common canoe was the North Canoe. It was 24 to 36 feet long and was used on larger lakes and rivers, had between 6 to 10 paddlers

and could handle 3000 lbs. of cargo. The Montreal canoe was used on the Great Lakes. It was 36 to 48 ft long, carried 5000 lbs. of cargo. If empty it could have up to 20 people on board.

Paddles3 sizes of paddles were used in fur trade canoes. All types were made from cedar. The bowman or

“avant” was in charge of the canoe. He used a long paddle on average about 5 ft. In the back of the canoe was the steersman or “governail” who used a 7 ft. long paddle to steer the canoe. In the

middle were the middle men or”milieux” they used paddles as short as 3 ft. with 3 inch wide blades and took almost a stroke a second. The

paddles were light weight and prized possessions.

The End of the Fur TradeBy 1840 there were several factors that lead to end of the fur trade. Settlers were moving into

Minnesota and forcing out the fur gathering Native Americans. Secondly there was some

depletion in the number of fur bearing animals. Finally there was a change in fashion. Men’s top

hats were now being made of silk. Fur trading still continues today but not on the scale of the

past.