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People of the Fur Trade

Many different people were an important part in the process of trapping, preparing, trading, and shipping the goods that made the fur trade such a success. Click below to learn about the roles of the people of the fur trade.

  1. Voyageurs Trappers Indigenous Women Merchants Bourgeoisie

    Voyageurs were strong men who paddled canoes and carried heavy loads to help move furs from deep in the wilderness to trading posts. They worked very hard, traveling for months at a time to bring furs to merchants who sold them in Europe.

    Trappers were hunters who caught wild animals, like beavers, otters, foxes, and wolves, to sell their furs. Trappers spent most of their time living in the wilderness, setting traps, and preparing furs for trade. Trappers were from many different cultures. Indigenous peoples, Europeans, and Métis (people of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry) all acted as trappers during the fur trade.

    Indigenous women helped traders survive, prepared animal furs, and made goods that people needed. They acted as guides and interpreters for traders by showing them safe paths and speaking different languages.

    Merchants were like store owners. They helped people trade things like animal furs for tools, clothes, and other goods. They stayed in towns or at trading posts, where they bought furs and sold supplies.

    The bourgeoisie were like the bosses of the fur trade. They owned businesses that bought and sold animal furs. They made decisions about the fur trade and paid workers to do hard jobs.

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Voyageurs

These voyageurs are "portaging" across land. They use trump lines to strap the heavy bundles of goods to their backs and heads. A voyageur trump line was a special strap that voyageurs used to carry heavy loads on their backs. It was a long band of leather or woven fabric that wrapped around a pack and had a wide strap that went across the forehead.

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Merchants

Merchants used strong lock boxes to keep money and important papers safe.

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Merchants

Merchants used scaled and weights to weigh furs and make sure trades were fair.

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Merchants

This merchant works to pack furs onto ships to be sold in places like France and Britain.

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Merchants

Merchants dressed neatly and expensively because they wanted to show their wealth.

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Merchants

This merchant stands in a trading post. Merchants owned or worked in trading posts purchasing furs from trappers and voyageurs and selling them for profit. They also exhanged tools, blankets, and beads for animal furs.

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Merchants

This merchant is sitting at his desk in his trading post. He is writing in his ledger book to keep track of all the trades and money.

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Trappers

Trappers used axes every day. They used them to cut wood to make fires, build shelter and fix canoes.

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Trappers

Trappers spent a lot of time outdoors, so being able to start a fire was very important for cooking, warmth, and protection. Since they didn’t have matches like we do today, they used a special fire-starting kit to make flames. A fire-starting kit had flint (a hard rock that makes sparks when hit), a steel striker (a piece of metal used to hit the flint and make sparks), char cloth (a small piece of cloth that catches the spark and starts to burn slowly), tinder (dry grass, bark, or wood shavings that catch fire easily), and kindling (small sticks that help make the fire bigger).

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Trappers

A powder horn was a hollowed-out cow or buffalo horn used to carry gunpowder. It kept the gunpowder dry so trappers could reload their muskets even in the rain or snow. Muskets were very slow to reload, so trappers had to be careful and smart when using them.

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Trappers

Trappers wore warm and tough clothes because they spent all their time outside in the cold. They wore shirts, pants, and coats made from deer or moose skin to protect them. On their feet, they had moccasins, which were soft leather shoes, perfect for walking quietly in the forest. In the winter, they stayed warm with fur hats and coats, along with wool scarves and mittens to keep out the freezing wind. They also carried leather bags to hold their tools and food. These clothes helped trappers stay warm, dry, and ready for adventure in the wild.

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Trappers

Trappers worked mostly in the winter because that’s when animals had the thickest, fluffiest fur. To catch beavers, trappers had to walk into freezing cold water that sometimes went up to their legs. They put their traps underwater near beaver dams and used a long wooden stick to hold the trap in place. The stick had to be tall enough so they could still see it above the water!

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Voyageurs

Voyageurs used birchbark canoes to travel across lakes and rivers while carrying heavy loads of furs and supplies. These canoes were light, fast, and strong, making them the perfect vehicle for the fur trade. Indigenous peoples, like the Anishinaabe, were experts at making birchbark canoes and taught voyageurs how to build and repair them.

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Voyageurs

Voyageurs spent most of their time traveling in spring, summer, and fall, but when they had to move in the winter, they used snowshoes to walk over deep snow without sinking. These snowshoes were super important for getting across forests, frozen lakes, and snowy trails.

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Voyageurs

Voyageurs spent a lot of time outdoors, so being able to start a fire was very important for cooking, warmth, and protection. Since they didn’t have matches like we do today, they used a special fire-starting kit to make flames. A fire-starting kit had flint (a hard rock that makes sparks when hit), a steel striker (a piece of metal used to hit the flint and make sparks), char cloth (a small piece of cloth that catches the spark and starts to burn slowly), tinder (dry grass, bark, or wood shavings that catch fire easily), and kindling (small sticks that help make the fire bigger).

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Voyageurs

The voyageur’s sash had many purposes. It could be used to hold a coat closed or as a belt to hold up pants. It could be used as a pocket to store snacks, especially cheeses. It could give extra support around the waist during heavy lifting. It could be used as a rope. Sometimes it was even used for record keeping. Since many voyageurs were not able to read or write, they might tie five knots in the end of their sash to show they owed 5 beaver coin to someone.

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Voyageurs

Voyageurs carry their canoe and supplies as they portage across land to avoid some nearby rapids.

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Voyageurs

This voyageur is ready for a trip down river. Voyageur's usually wore a linen or cotton shirt, a pair of leather moccasins, a wool cap, and a hooded coat for cold weather.

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Trappers

This is a special kind of trapper called Coureur De Bois which means "runner of the woods" in french. These trappers traded without the license needed by the government. They worked for themselves instead of trading companies, which added an extra risk.

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Trappers

Trappers set traps near rivers and lakes and had to walk long distances to check them. When they caught an animal, they carefully skinned and cleaned the fur so it could be sold. Trappers then took the furs to trading posts, where they traded them for food, tools, and clothes.

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Trappers

In the winter months, snowshoes were an important part of a trapper's gear. The shoes made walking across the snow a bit easier.

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Trappers

Trappers worked alone or in small groups, and their tools helped them survive in the wild. This trapper stands with all his gear. In his left hand he holds one of the traps he uses to catch animals.

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Trappers

This trapper is wearing a wool coat given to him by a fur trading company called the Hudson Bay Company. Trading companies like the Hudson Bay Company needed trappers to bring their furs to trading posts, where voyageurs picked them up and took them to merchants.

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Trappers

Trappers carried muskets, which were old-style long guns used for hunting animals and staying safe in the wilderness. Muskets helped them catch food, like deer, rabbits, and birds, and also protected them from wild animals or danger.

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Bourgeoisie

Some bourgeoisie stayed at fur trade forts, making sure everything ran smoothly. They talked to Indigenous leaders, merchants, and European buyers to set prices for furs.

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Bourgeoisie

The bourgeoisie ran the businesses that bought and sold furs. Here the bourgeoisie arrange for furs to be shipped across the ocean to Europe.

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Bourgeoisie

The bourgeoisie were the decsion-makers of the fur trade. Here the bourgeoisie are making important business decisions while others do the hard work.

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Bourgeoisie

The bourgeoisie were the rich business owners of the fur trade. They were the bosses who controlled trading companies and hired workers.

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Bourgeoisie

The bourgeoisie wore coats made of fine wool or velvet that were sometimes decorated with gold buttons. They had shirts with ruffled sleeves and collars. They often wore the tricorn hat (hats with three corners) that showed wealth and importance. Their shoes were made of leather and often had buckles to show off their wealth. The bourgeoisie dressed in fine clothing to show their power and success in the fur trade.

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Bourgeoisie

The bourgeoisie used ledger books & quills to write down trades, money, and business deals.

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Bourgeoisie

Bourgeoisie used strong lock boxes to keep money and important papers safe.

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Bourgeoisie

The bourgeoisie owned warehouses full of trade goods like blankets, beads, tools, and supplies for trading.

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Indigenous Women

Many Indigenous women were expert traders. They made sure they got fair deals for their goods. They traded furs and other valuable goods for European items like blankets, metal tools, beads, and kettles.

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Indigenous Women

At trading posts, Indigenous women cooked meals for traders and their families. They used ingredients like berries, wild rice, fish, and game. They dried and stored food for winter so that traders had enough food to survive the harsh winters.

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Indigenous Women

Women used bone scrapers like this one to prepare the fur pelts for trading.

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Indigenous Women

Some Indigneous women helped traders by showing them safe paths to travel. They warned traders of dangerous rapids and waterways. They showed them the best spots to camp along the journey. They also spoke different languages and often helped as translators in trade deals.

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Indigenous Women

Indigenous women were skilled in making and repairing birch bark canoes. They gathered birch bark, spruce roots, and pine resin to build the lightweight, waterproof canoes needed for traveling the rivers and lakes.

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Indigenous Women

Woven used baskets made from plants to carry food and supplies. This is called a makuk.

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Indigenous Women

Indigenous women used bone needles and sinew thread to sew warm clothes, moccasins, and coats for trappers and voyageurs.

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Indigenous Women

Indigenous women used new things from European traders in their own special way. They added beads from Europe to make moccasins and dresses more beautiful. They also started using metal knives and kettles instead of their old tools. The things they made were so well-crafted that European traders wanted to buy them, showing that Indigenous women were not just using new items but also creating and improving them.

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Indigenous Women

While men often trapped animals, women were responsible for preparing furs by scraping, drying, and softening hides to make them ready for trading. This gave them power over a key resource in the fur trade.

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Indigenous Women

Indigenous women’s clothing was comfortable, warm, and beautifully decorated with beads and patterns. They wore soft, warm dresses and leggings made from deer or moose hide. They covered their feet with handmade leather shoes called moccasins perfect for walking in forests. When it was cold they wore fur-lined coats to stay warm. They often wore beautiful jewelry and belts made from beads and shells.

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