History Of The Fur Trade

Fur trade has been around since humans have been wearing clothes. People hunted animals for food and fur pelts which were worn for protection against weather. We also used the animal hair to make felt. Tents were made from goat, sheep, camels and much other animal’s hair. Felt was easy to make and lasted a fair amount of time, the best fur to make felt was beaver, and it soon came very valuable. Then the fall of the Roman Empire came, so the art of making felt was lost. It didn’t come back until these 2 things happened; first crusaders that were visiting Constantinople saw hats and clothes worn by people, and they decided to learn how it was made. The 2nd thing was that an invasion into Russia pushed many felt makers to move west into Europe. In the 1600, tonnes of people wanted to wear beaver fur, a new fashion was born. Because of hunting beavers in Europe were becoming very close to extinction.

Martin Frobisher

Sir Martin Frobisher was born in 1594. He was a privateer also known as a pirate licensed by the British government. He was also an explorer,navigator, and naval officer. after many years of sailing through Northwestern Africa he decided to sail to north america where he searched for a north west passage.

During 1956 he found Baffin island which he claimed for england and found ore (Fool's gold) . He also found Revolution Island. On his third trip he sail up the Hudson straight , then set up a mining company called Cathay Company, which was a failure. Frobisher was one of the first people to explore this area of Canada, although he failed to find either a Northwest Passage or gold. In 1585, Frobisher was a vice admiral on Sir Francis Drake's expedition to the West Indies. Frobisher died on November 22, 1594, from wounds he got fighting the Spanish.

Explorer Bio-Jauques Cartier

Jauques Cartier was born on December 31st 1491, in St. Malo, Brittany.  Jauques a french explorer of Breton, has claimed what now is Canada for France. He was the first European to describe and map The Gulf Of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River. In 1520 he married Mary Catherine des Granches. Jauques went on 3 voyages. The first voyage was on April 20 1534 to look for the north west passage. His second voyage was the next year to further investigate the so called Asia coast lines he had found the year before.Though he had found the coast lines of Canada. His third and finale voyage was on October 17, 1540 as he was leader of the expedition.  Jauques died at age 65 or 66 on September 1 1557 from an epidemic.

Explorer Bio- John Cabot

John Cabot also known as Giovanni Gaboto in Italian. He was born 1450. John was an Italian navigator and explorer who in 1497, discovered parts of North America. He was the second explorer to discover parts of North America second only to the Norse Vikings. He was the first to try and find the North West Passage.  Much information about him is an opinion.  His first exploration was a bust as he did not have enough supplies and was not prepared so he decided to turn back.  His 2nd exploration is only known by letters that were written re guarding this trip. His final exploration does not have much information on it it was mostly guessed at because it is that John had died at sea in 1499.

Explorer Bio- John Franklin

John was born April 16 1786 in Spillsby Lincoinshire, England. He was a british Royal Navy Officer and a explorer. First Expedition 1819. John Franklin was chosen to lead an expedition to Hudson Bay to chart it . It was a bad expedition with losing 11 out of 20 men from starvation etc. Second Expedition 1823. He went down Mackenzie River to explore to Beaufort Sea. Also Franklin married poet Eleanor Anne Porden after returning from england and had Eleanor Isabella in 1824. Eleanor Anne Porden died of Tuberculosis in 1825, shortly after John went to his trip to Arctic as his wife persuaded to not let her illness get in the way of his travels. Franklin was knighted on April 29 1829 by George IV.  That previous November 1828 he married Jane Griffen a friend of his first wife. On January 25 1836 he was made Knight Commander Of The Royal Guelphic Order by King George IV. 1845 Northwest Passage Expedition is Sir John Franklins most famous expedition. Franklin set sail Greenhithe, England May 19 1845 with a crew of 24 officers an 110 men. After that there were many trips around to gather supplies and to reduce there ship to 129 people. From there they were last seen by europeans on July 26 1845. There ships Terror and Erebus became trapped in ice of King William Island in September 1848 and never sailed again. According to a note found later on that island Sir John Franklin died there on that island June 11th 1847, the exact location has not yet been found.  2 years later Franklin's wife had not got any word of Franklin and the following year with still no word she send out a search party offering a high award of money. Nothing was found but his searchings inspired many to go out and look for him, including 3 english men and 1 from the USA and they found the first relics of his expedition were found, including three gravesites of Franklin Expedition men.
The rest of the crew perished from starvation, hypothermia, lead poisoning, etc.

Explorer Bio- Leif Ericson

Leif Leading His Crew

Born 970, Iceland. He was a Norse explorer, who was son Eric The Red, another famous early explorer on this blog as well. He was the first one to land in North America for europe nearly 500 years before  Christopher Columbus. He was the founder of Vinland. A lot of information on him was found in  L'Anse aux Meadows. Which was a Norse site on the Northern tip of the island on Newfoundland.  He married Thorgunna and had one son Thorkell Leifsson.  Leif died 1020 at which he would be aged 49-50 the exact location is not known. Now in America they have a day called Leif Ericson Day on Oct. 9th.  

Explorer Bio- Henry Hudson

Hudson's Bay 

Henry was born in 1560, England. He was an english explorer and navigator and he went on several voyages on behalf of many english merchants to find a North West Passage to india.  He had many explorations but the most famous one was the discovery of Hudson bay. In 1610 he was on looking for the North West Passage to India and he followed a strait and discovered Hudson Bay. When Henry wanted to go on west his crew mutinied and cast Henry and his son out into the unknown and Henry and son were never seen again. Now we only know him for the discovery Hudson Bay.

History Of The HBC

HBC Logo

There Are Many Modifications Of The Beaver Hat Which Was Very Popular In France 

The HBC or also known as the Hudson's Bay Company is one of the oldest commercial corporation in the world. It was founded May 2nd 1670 and was orginally a fur trading company. Now it has many retail stores throughout Canada. In the 17th centuary 2 regular french fur traders learned that the best place to get furs was north west of lake Superior from some Cree. They went back to France and suggested that it would be less money to transport furs if there was a fur trading post on the Hudson bay. Radisson and des Groseillier's, a group of businessmen finaced these explorations. In 1668, 2 english ships were sent out to explore the possible trading with France. This trading worked.
On May 2nd 1670 The Hudson's Bay Company was officially incorporated. It's 1st headquarter's were founded at Fort Nelson at the mouth of Nelson River (now known as Eastern Manitoba). The english quickly built more posts around the southern bay of Hudson Bay. The HBC's second inland trading post was established by Samuel Hearne in the Cumberland House in 1774. First Nations and Metis did most of the trapping an sold these furs to the HBC. They sold them for metal things and hunting gear. There are now many stores around Canada.

Explorer Bio- Samuel de Champlain

Samuel de Champlain was born 1567 in Brouage, Province of Saintonge, France. Samuel was also known as the father of new France. he was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. Samuel also founded new France and Quebec city on July 3, 1608. Samuel was born into a family of master mariners. He started exploring north America 1603 under the guidance of  Francois grave du pont.  From 1604-1607 Samuel was a part of  the exploration and first permanent settlement north of Florida, Port Royal Acadia. In 1608 he next made a permanent settlement, Quebec City. Samuel was the first European explorer to explore and describe the Great Lakes.                                

In 1602 Louis XII ceased Samuel's explorations. Samuel stayed in Quebec and managed the growth of New France  by setting up trading posts and such other until his death in 1635 in December 25, which he would be at age 55. 

Explorer Bio-Simon Fraser

 


  One of the many explorers famous his deeds, is Simon Fraser. Simon was born on May 20th 1776 in Maple Town, New York. Simon charted most of what is now British Columbia. One of his more famous achievements is the discovery of the Fraser River, which is located in The Rocky Mountains of British Columbia. Flowing for 2,213 kilometers into Straight Of Georgia in the city of Vancouver. Simon was employed by The North West Company. In 1805 Fraser was put in charge of all the operations occuring in the North West Company west of the Rocky Mountains. Simon was responsible for building the area's first trading post's. In 1818 in appears he retired from fur trade. He married Catherine McDonnell on June 2nd 1820. After retiring he served as the captain of the 1st Regiment of the Stormont Militia during the Rebellions of the 1837. He had 5 sons and 3 daughters, which quickly matured. When he died on August 18 1862 he one of the last surviving partners of the North West Company. The day after Simon died unfortunately his wife did as well. They were buried in a single grave in the Roman Catholic Cemetery at St. Andrews.