The first company to set up a trading post on the Pacific Northwest coast was the Pacific Fur Company. John Jacob Astor, a wealthy New York fur merchant, decided to organize the Pacific Fur Company to open up the unexplored territory west of the Rocky Mountains. Astor's fur enterprises were well established east of the Rockies. He hoped to gain control over the entire American fur trade.
In September, 1810, two parties, representing Astor's Pacific Fur Company, set out to establish the first trading post on the Columbia River. One party sailed from New York aboard the Tonquin, under the command of Captain Jonathan Thorn. The other party set out from St. Louis on an overland expedition to the mouth of the Columbia. That party was under the leadership of Wilson Price Hunt, one of the partners of the Pacific Fur Company. Both the overland and the overseas parties expected to arrive at the Pacific Coast about the same time.
In addition to the two parties, Astor dispatched one of his many ships, the Beaver, with a load of supplies and some additional workers for the company post. The overland party, the Tonquin, and the Beaver were the core of Astor's Pacific Coast venture.
Captain Thorn of the Tonquin was an unreasonable and cantankerous man. When the Tonquin reached the mouth of the Columbia, on March 22, 1811, the crew could not locate the channel across the treacherous bar because of stormy weather. Instead of waiting for more favorable weather, Thorn insisted upon sending a small boat ahead to find the passage. The boat and the crew of five were promptly swallowed by the crashing breakers. Before the Tonquin finally crossed the bar a few days later, another small boat and its crew of three also disappeared.
The crew was not satisfied with the site selected for a post and wanted to search for a better one. Before they could pursue this, Thorn departed for Vancouver Island to trade with the Indians, without even taking time to unload all of the supplies. At Vancouver Island, he so antagonized the Indians that they attacked the ship and killed everyone on board, including Thorn. The Tonquin was blown up and destroyed. The loss of the ship left the crew with no means of carrying on their coastal trade and also resulted in the lost of the much needed supplies that were still on board.
The cost of shipping by rail was one-tenth of that at only $0.015/ton. At this rate farmers made money and could ship all the way to Minneapolis, where the value was up to $1.50/bushel. In 1893, the Soo Line began building a railroad across the hinterlands of Wisconsin and Minnesota so they could ship grain and l...
The French Fur Trade Beginning in the mid sixteenth century, French explorers were able to establish a powerful and lasting presence in what is now the Northern United States and Canada. The explorers placed much emphasis on searching and colonizing the area surrounding the St. Lawrence River “which gave access to the Great Lakes and the heart of the continent”(Microsoft p?). They began exploring the area around 1540 and had early interactions with many of the Natives, which made communication easier for both peoples when the French returned nearly fifty years later. The French brought a new European desire for fur with them to America when they returned and began to trade with the Indians for furs in order to supply the European demands. The Natives and the French were required to interact with each other in order to make these trades possible, and, over time, the two groups developed a lasting alliance.
Farmers who lived west of the Appalachian Mountains shipped all their surplus produce by boat down rivers that flowed into the Gulf of Mexico. In a treaty of 1795, Spain agreed to give Americans the "right of deposit" at New Orleans. This right allowed Americans to store in New Orleans, duty-free, goods shipped for export. Arks and flatboats transported a great variety of products, including flour, tobacco, pork bacon, lard, feathers, cider, butter, cheese, hemp, p...
Lewis and Clark were viewing trade as a long-term venture, while the Indians wanted an immediate exchange or merchandise.
Fur trading started between the Europeans along with the Aboriginals when the most valuable beaver pelts was a substituted for metal and clothing goods such as iron knives and axis, copper kettles, blankets and trinkets. The beaver pelts were well desired by the Europeans for the reason that using this fur for headgear provided an elegant way to keep dry. However these pelts were for fashion, as men and women could be instantly noted within the social hierarchy by according to their beaver hats. It was so valuable that the sand on the floor was filtered to save every hair that has fallen off. For the Europeans, captivating advantages of the rich furs from the Indians in the New World was a major factor in generating handsome profits, and there is no other pelt exchanging business enterprise like the Hudson's Bay Company. It is the oldest venture of Canada and it inspired many by its domination in the fur trading industry during its early years. They equipped their own armies, minted its own coins and even issued its own medals. The company had controlled fully one-third of present-day Canadian territory and were thought by many as a kingdom by itself in the fur industry. They had trading posts from the very north Arctic Ocean to Hawaii and as far south as San Francisco. HBC's revenue didn't generate simply from this one way trade in furs to Europe; it also consists of large amounts of European goods to North America. These goods incorporated many other products that local people cannot construct such as gunpowder, bullets, weapons, tobacco, kettles, pots, beads, fishing hooks, needles, scissors, and so much more. The Hudson's Bay Company showed a great measure of success since its formation, but it didn't come without s...
Aboriginal women had occupied an essential position in the fur trade of the North American region from its birth during the 17th and 18th centuries. Even though this is true, the role of women, especially those of the Native American society, has been ignored a great deal in the entire history of fur trade. Contrary to the belief that the whole fur trade activity was only male-dominated, it very much depended upon Native women and their participation and labor in order to ensure survival as well as economic success. This paper will attempt to illuminate how Native women played the role as important producers when it comes to fur trade of the American Plains and, of course, the Canadian region. This paper will also deal with the two important company's namely the North West and Hudson's Bay Company and tell how each functioned during the time of fur trade. The term “fur traders” is the term often used to described anyone who was interested in the traffic of furs. The traditional picture has been that of a male in buckskin shirt and a raccoon cap, dispensing alcohol and trinkets to gullible savages, in turn for the quality furs worth 10 times their value.
Trade was important to the Maritimes. Up to 1846 Britain had provided the British North American colonies with a market for their goods, but then began a policy of free trade. Because there were no tariffs placed on any country the colonies lost a sure market for their goods. Many colonists were concerned that some might consider union with the United States and the British North American colonies was brisk with large amounts of lumber and grain being imported by the U.S. When the Americans ended the Reciprocity Treaty in 1865, many Maritimers became uneasy about the economic future. It became apparent that in order to develop thriving trade; new economic links would have to be developed. 3
In 1915, while amidst their expedition, the ship, Endurance, become lodged in a pack of ice. They tried to wait it out, through a winter of darkness, and even though the Endurance was drifting northward, the ice was too much for the Endurance to withstand. The ice broke the Endurance in half, forcing the dogs and crew off the ship. They would end up spending months trying to find land.
To take on the first harsh winter, a fort was built in present day Bismarck, North Dakota. “At this time Sacagawea, a Shoshone women, joined the expedition as a guide and translator. In 1805, the group followed the Missouri westward to its headwaters and then crossed the Rocky Mountains and proceeded along the Salmon, Snake, and Columbia rivers to the Pacific Ocean” (Houghton 653). The Corps of Discovery had found what they were looking for on November 7, 1805, th...
Slaves and slave trade has been an important part of history for a very long time. In the years of the British thirteen colonies in North America, slaves and slave trade was a very important part of its development. It even carried on to almost 200 years of the United States history. The slave trade of the thirteen colonies was an important part of the colonies as well as Europe and Africa. In order to supply the thirteen colonies efficiently through trade, Europe developed the method of triangular trade. It is referred to as triangular trade because it consists of trade with Africa, the thirteen colonies, and England. These three areas are commonly called the trades “three legs.”
With the East and the West being brought together by the railroad, goods were able to go to m...
Thousands of Americans started selling off their land in the Midwest and using the money to buy things such as ox and wagons to travel west. They also bought things such as cows, horses, chickens, and pigs to use as food and labor. Americans had to be careful with what they chose to bring of their journey to Oregon since they could only carry so much in a covered wagon. Mainly people chose to bring the necessities and brought few keepsakes with them on their journey.
this historic event. Little did they know, it would be a voyage that would end in great tragedy and
James Cook made a conscious effort to search North America’s west coast. After exploring the west coast James cook wanted to then search the Coast northward. Before James Cook could explore they would have to wait out the bad weather. On the date of 29th March to the date of 26th April, 1778. James Cook and the HMS Discovery stayed in the town of Yuquot, this was on Vancouver Island. This was in Canada.
Free trade can be defined as the free access of the market by individuals without any restriction or any trade barriers that can obstruct the trade process such as taxes, tariffs and import quotas. Free trade in its own way unites and brings people together. Most individuals love the concept of free trade because it gives them the ability to move freely and interact in the market. The whole idea of free trade is that it lowers the price for goods and services by promoting competition. Domestic producers will no longer be able to rely on government law and other forms of assistance, including quotas which essentially force citizens to buy from them. The producers will have to enter the market and strive into to obtain profit.