Fur Pelts

The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. more...

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Russian fur trade

Before the colonization of the Americas, Russia was a major fur supplier of Western Europe and parts of Asia. Fur was a major Russian export since the early middle-ages. Originally the majority of furs exported from Russia were pelts of martens, beavers, wolves, foxes, squirrels and hares. Between the 16th and 18th centuries Russians tamed Siberia — a region rich with various valuable kinds of fur-bearing animals such as arctic fox, sable, sea otter and stoat. In search of sea otter and, later, the northern fur seal, the Russian Empire expanded into North America, notably Alaska. Between the 17th and second half of the 19th century, Russia was the biggest supplier of fur in the world until the U.S. and Canada joined the fur market. Fur trade played a vital role in the development of Siberia, the Russian Far East and the Russian colonization of the Americas. To this day sable is a regional symbol of Ural Sverdlovsk oblast and Siberian Novosibirsk, Tyumen and Irkutsk oblasts of Russia.

North American fur trade

The North American fur trade was a central part of the early history of contact in The New World (North America) between European-Americans and Native Americans in the United States and First Nations in Canada. In 1578 there were 350 European fishing vessels at Newfoundland and sailors began to trade metal implements (particularly knives) for the natives' well worn pelts. The worn pelt was always highly desired by the Europeans as the outer coarse guard hair was worn off and the addition of human oils combined to make a particularly soft and beautiful result.

Early Organization

The first organized attempt to control the fur trade in New France was undertaken by Francis Grave and Captain Chauvin. In 1599 they acquired a monopoly from Henry IV and tried to establish a colony at the mouth of the Saguenay River (Tadoussac, Quebec). French explorers (and Coureur des bois--Étienne Brûlé, Samuel de Champlain, Radisson and Groseilliers, La Salle, Le Sueur), while seeking routes through the continent, established relationships with Amerindians and continued to expand the trade of fur pelts for items considered 'common' by the Europeans. Fur (especially beaver) was prized and very expensive in European markets.

In 1613 Henry Christiansen and Adriaen Block headed expeditions to establish fur trade relationships with the Mohawks and Mohicans. By 1614 the Dutch were sending vessels to Manhattan to secure large returns from fur trading.

Read more at Wikipedia.org