Fur Trade


Trading room
At the same time, the fur trade, which was a valuable resource of export for North America, began to expand its scope as a continental growth industry. Furs, particularly the beaver, had become a highly sought after resource when the demand for felt hats, made of beaver fur, grew in Europe.
Hatters in Europe eagerly sought furs from North America to exploit for their trade.The fur trade became an important factor in globalization in Canada at the time because it brought people of different cultures together. Consequently, the groups involved in the fur trade created strong connections and interdependence.

Traders and Trading Companies

Independent traders searched far and wide to obtain the furs of many wild animals from native trappers. Voyageurs and coureurs de bois (runners of the woods) traveled the rivers and forests of Canada, learning a great deal about survival in the wilderness from the native people. Later in order to exploit the fur resources more, investors in both France and Britain would establish companies to organize trading networks of ships and trading posts. First Nations people would trap the animals and then transport them to the trading posts.  In exchange, native peoples were able to purchase European-made goods, such as metal pots and pans, blankets, snares, weapons, and tools that made their lives easier. They were also able to obtain decorative items such as beads. Alcohol was often used as a trading tool. The French came to know the region, developing great skills as woodsmen. They learned a lot from their native guides and often married native women. This intermarriage led to the development of a distinctive Métis culture.


Rivalry between French and British in North America

Great wealth was generated by the fur trade in North America and it was inevitable that old prejudices between France and Britain would continue in the new lands. Competition within the fur trade by these two imperial powers created tensions that would eventually create open warfare between them.

While the French were building their colonies in what is now known as Canada, the British were doing the same nearby in what is now known as the United States. Imperialism became an important point of friction between European nations. This led to competition for land, resources, and power. In North America, natives were actively recruited in the struggle to control natural resources. Due to the global nature of imperialism, conflicts arose throughout the world in the Seven Years' War.