The Fur Trade in
Canada
“We were Caesers, being no one to
contradict us…”
-Pierre-Esprit Radisso
-Translation: “We were the kings and
our kingdom was the wilderness…”
Hudson’s Bay Company
- The Flag of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC)
- Founded in 1670 by King Charles II
Fort Vancouver established by the Hudson Bay Company
The Mighty York Boat
HBC Main Points:
• British company founded 1670 by a Royal Charter
signed by King Charles II
• “Stay at the Bay” policy with Native trappers coming
to them with furs
• Very Hierarchical (like the military, rank was very
important)
• Controlled and traded in an area roughly 1/3 the
size of modern Canada.
• All employees made a salary (no sharing in profits
or losses)
• Main fort was York Factory
Map of Rupert’s Land
The Fight is On!!!
• Challenge to the HBC domination of the
fur trade in Canada.
• Enter the North West Company
The North West Company
• 1783 several companies trading furs merged
into the North West Company
• Although owned by English Canadians,
French traders were employed.
• Workers shared in the profits or losses of the
company.
• Origin of Métis (French & First Nation).
• Based in Montreal and traded throughout the
North West.
The NWC Canoes
Fur Trade
North West Company
• Much less hierarchical or “top-down” than
the HBC.
• The “Montreal partners” stayed in Montreal
and traded the furs to London
• The “wintering partners” stayed in the North
West and did the actual trading and
trapping.
• They were partners, not employees and
thus shared in the profits the NWC made.
1820 Trading Coin
Map of NWC Trading Area
EXPLORERS
Captain James Cook
-Born in England
- Explored New Zealand,
Australia, Hawaii and the west
Coast of North America
(Vancouver Island)
- Was killed in Hawaii
Captain George Vancouver
-Born in England
-Captain in the British Navy
-Explored and mapped a lot
of the Pacific West Coast
(British Columbia, Alaska,
Oregon & Washington State)
Alexander Mackenzie
-Born in Scotland
-Family moved to
America, but then
moved to Montreal
during the American
Revolution
- Completed the first
transcontinental crossing
of North America when
he made it to the Pacific
Ocean for the North
West Company
Simon Fraser
-Born in America
-Father died in the
American Revolution
-Raised in Quebec
-Worked in the North
West Company
- Explored much of BC
David Thompson
-Born in England
-He mapped around 2 million
square km of western North
America
- He worked for both the
Hudson Bay and the North West
Company
-Was an English Canadian fur
trader, map maker and explorer
- Married to a Cree wife for 58
years and had 13 kids