People of the Fur Trade: From Native Trappers to Chief Factors

by Irene Ternier Gordon

The years from the fall of New France in 1763 to the amalgamation of the Hudson's Bay Company and North West Company in 1821 were marked by fierce competition in the fur trade. Traders from the warring companies pushed west, undertaking incredible voyages in their search for new sources of furs. Irene Gordon explores the eventful lives of those who worked in the trade, including Alexander Henry the Elder, a trader and merchant who left a vivid written account of his experiences; Net-no-kwa, a woman of the Ottawa tribe who was so highly regarded by the traders at Michilimackinac that they saluted her with gunfire every time she arrived there; and the bold and flamboyant Scotsman Colin Robertson, who used "glittering pomposity" to impress those he dealt with. From chief factors to servants, independent traders, Native trappers and Metis, the people of the fur trade left an indelible imprint on North American history.

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2011

Reviews

[Mr. Caprow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irene Ternier Gordon's People of the Fur Trade describes the trials and tribulations of the life of the fur trader and associated work. I really appreciated learning more about the role of women in the fur trade, an aspect I never knew anything about and also the number of people that were doing things that they were not supposed to be doing, at the expense of others and the fur trade in general. It is great to see that some of the fur trade era establishments, such as the annual rendezvous at Grand Portage, Minnesota (http://www.nps.gov/grpo/planyourvisit...) and the Hudson Bay Company (d.b.a. The Bay), still exist today. This time period of rough and rugged people set the stage for the settlement of North America and it is great to learn more about how it worked, who was involved and at what cost. (I finished reading this book on the beach on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.)