What Were Its Defining Features Over More Than Two Centuries?

EXAMINE THE FUR TRADE IN THE NORTHEAST, THE NORTH, THE WEST, AND ON THE WEST COAST FROM CA. 1600 TO CA. 1840. WHAT WERE ITS DEFINING FEATURES OVER MORE THAN TWO CENTURIES?
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Introduction
The French trading alliance with the Wendat in the pre-confederate Canada experienced distinct transformations spreading across the period between 1600 to 1840. The significant events experienced during the fur trade era were the defeat of the New France in 1753, and Hudson’s Bay’s (HBC) competition against the Northwest Companies (NWC) before their merger in 1822. Other major trademarks for the era was the development of the fur trade resulting in broadening of the investment of the Oregon Country in the created market. During the same period, Governor James Douglas of the Hudson’s Bay Company retired in 1964with greater infestation in the fur trade. During this era of the development in the fur market, there was some major transformation in the market characteristics while other characteristics remained the same. For instance, the adaptation of the Europeans to the native culture as the first nations which mainly controlled the fur trading and market. This depicted diversity in their developmental features including the political alliances which ensured the overall success of the fur trade experienced despite the political, economic, and cultural challenges during the defined era.
Some features of the fur trading included events that occurred occasionally that influenced the performance of the market. Such features include but not limited to adaptation of the European to the native culture and the requirements of the traditions within the region which facilitated success. Cultural transformation and adaptation were first experienced by the Coureur de bois in the 17th century when the New France reigned in the fur market (Belshaw, 2015). The transformation was also experienced during the first half of the 18th century of the same fur trade period.
New France recognized the Coureur de bois as frontiersmen. John Belshaw defined the Coureur de bois group to have been formed by Samuel de Chaplain. The group was sent out to live with the Wendat to learn and adapt their trading habit and culture as clearly explained in the book on “Pre-confederation Canadian History” (Belshaw, 2015). During the fall of the Wendat in 1649, the Coureur de bois ensured that they had acquired sufficient information especially on the cultural practices and the common and most effective trade routes. They, therefore, managed to take over most of the trading routes dominated by the French and other developed tribes in the Further West. Throughout this period, the French influenced the population along the lake region. They issued them with regular gifts especially to the national leaders to enhance their support during the trading period. The issuing of the gifts continued throughout the period that the New French controlled the fur trade leading to the fall of the Wendat and also dealt with the Pays d’en Haut. Although the European culture doesn’t value gift-giving, the situation forced them to win the heart of the natives. The practice had both economic and social impacts especially in creating the connection between the Europeans and the natives. The natives who gave away their luxury European items managed to secure favor with the Europeans thus becoming influential to other members of the native communities.
The European and other famous nations which failed to adapt to the native cultures failed to create a good relationship with the local communities thus leading to the fall of their trading approaches. Such nations experienced resistance and violence from the natives which resulted in bloodshed and warfare. For example, the British followed the downfall of New France in trading strategies in 1953 (Belshaw, 2015). When the British came in, they withdrew the pattern of gifts that existed between French and First Nations. The British failed to understand the previous nations had already set a tradition of issuing gifts but not a form of bribe toward loyalty. Thus, the British received an unfriendly welcome in most of the regions like Ohio and Mississippi. The results were the Pontiac war that took place from 1963 to 1967. The same case of gift-giving ceremony conflict occurred between Salish and the associated First Nation groups along Oregon Country.
The potlach also extended the process of offering gifts for cultural practices among the tribes in the further east to enhance their relationship with the natives. In the late 17th century, the Russians, Americans, and British shifted to the coast of Northern British Columbia. They enhanced their trading practices with the Salish and Tsimshian groups (Belshaw, 2015). The key trading item was the otter pelts which was a valuable product at that particular period especially in China. The event resulted in the development of a lengthy ritual with dances and other traditional events and ceremonies to enhance the bond between the trading partners. This required the European traders to winter along the coast, enabling them to make a reasonable profit as they get back to China.
The success of the HBC in its operations within the interior regions and the north of BC was due to the creation of a good relationship with the native culture and support to their politics. The combination of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the Northwest Company in 1821 forced Governor Simpson to order that the traders required permission from the local chiefs for the establishment of more trading stands in the interiors. Thomas Duane and Marianne Ignace argued that the survival of the HBC and its ability to advance its profit-making strategies in the interiors and the remote places in Canada would require the fur traders to some if not all aspects of the native culture. The paper written by the two historians (Duane & Ignace, 2015) suggested that the foreigners were required to r...