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Fur trade

Because of the abundance and quality of New World furs, around the middle of the 16th century they became the prime reason for trans-Atlantic journeys. Beginning in the 1620s European demand for furs became insatiable, with beaver pelts being particularly sought after. It was thanks to the knowledge of the Indigenous people and their understanding of fur-bearing animals that the coureurs de bois were able to build a commercial venture of worldwide importance, the development of which forms a dominant theme in early Canadian history. The fur trade was the object of so much competition and rivalry that it led to a monopoly system that provided the financial base for subsequent exploration and settlement.

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Other Resources

Canada A Country by Consent: New France: Fur Trade 1500s-1700s
Canada and the fur trade - History of the Canadian fur trade
Canada | History, Geography, & Culture - The Montreal fur traders | Britannica.com
Canada’s Fur Trade – a Timeline - Fur Institute of Canada Fur Institute of Canada. Content archived on 16 Jan. 2024
Civilization.ca - Canada Hall - The fur trade
David Thompson and the Fur Trade
Five companies that dominated the Canadian fur trade | Canadian Geographic
Fur Trade - The Canadian Encyclopedia
Fur Trade | Virtual Museum of New France
Fur trade - Wikipedia
Glossary of the Fur Trade - Fort William Historical ParkGlossary of the Fur Trade
HBC Heritage -- Animals of the Fur Trade
HBC Heritage -- HBC and the Fur Trade
The Beginnings of the Fur Trade
The Fur Trade
The fur trade: Societies and Territories

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