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Essay On What Role Did Indians Play In The Fur Trade

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What Role did the Indians play in the fur trade? Well, the fur trade had an outstanding effect on the west, and both cultures, Indians, and white men would influence how the trade evolved. When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark ventured to the west they also documented the abundant population of beavers there, which would majorly impact that region in later years. Beaver pelts were often the primary goal of the fur trade due to the fascination of beaver hats in the fashion industry, which made the west into a different kind of gold mine. William Ashley and Andrew Henry were notable for their fur trade business specifically due to an idea by William Ashley. In 1825 Willam began collecting supplies for what would be the first “Rendezvous” in …show more content…

Despite trading with the Indians prior to the rendezvous, the rendezvous would become a popular event that attracted both the white men and Indians to a location for revelries and fur trades. In addition to attracting trading partners, it also attracted less friendly tribes who were angry about the white men trapping in their territories. When caravans got attacked by these raiding parties, it also damaged the fur trade in regards to the pelts being stolen in the attack. But the constant presence between the white men, and the Indians in the area, did create a few intercultural relationships and solidified trading partners. The fur trade facilitated the growth of trappers in Wyoming which became the source of inspiration for the creation of the rendezvous; the rendezvous also attracted indigenous trade, hostility, and an overall correlation between the white men and Indian …show more content…

An example of how the fur trade created somewhat positive relations between the white men and Indians is the unique relationship that was had with the Blackfeet, despite numerous deleterious events the formal relationship remained persisted due to the valuable trading. The fur trade also influenced intercultural marriages between the whites and Indians because not only would the tribe often grant protection to them, but the white men would bring furs and other trades into the tribe. Marriages also provided other positive influences, “Contact with Indians often led to trapper/native marriages—or more military alliances. Such a coalition was particularly useful when less than friendly bands showed up at rendezvous.” (https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/fur-trade-wyoming). Trading furs with the whites could potentially be traced to Lewis and Clark (under the instruction of Thomas Jefferson), who informed the Indians along their scouting route that they could trade furs with them. As the fur trade began to rise in the west, and more established trading posts were created, it ultimately created an intercultural trade between them. The outward attitude toward the rendezvous itself was immensely incomparable, for example,

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