Almanac – Fur Trade
December 8th, 2011This week’s Almanac entry is the fur trade. Since we’re introducing our trapper in Snow-by-Night’s story, it seemed a good time to talk about the economic foundation of the colony. It’s a fascinating subject. Money just poured through historical French Canada and the trade caused a number of wars between the various tribes of the northeastern woodlands. Our story takes place about a century before the fur trade collapsed so the wealth is there for the taking. This also explains why you have so many rooks, smugglers, and other ne’er-do-wells in Sherbourg.
Ooo, fascinating! Was fur smuggling a problem in Canada once too?
Oh yes. The French government under Jean-Baptiste Colbert tried several ways to rein in the fur trade. First they forbid the colonists from trapping altogether. Instead, Colbert wanted the natives to trap and bring the furs to established trading posts. The Canadiennes simply ignored the restriction. They just hopped into their frail canoes and paddled off into the wilderness. In 1681, Colbert admitted defeat and started a licensing system (which is what I’m using for Aradie). The governor general granted up to 25 trading permits a year. Each permit allowed the recipient to send a canoe load of trade goods with three men to trade with the Indians. This went over about as well as the first method, but it did slow the fur trade some. Later on, the fur trade suffered two massive busts when gluts of furs drove the price through the floor which nearly bankrupted the entire colony.
For more information on the Fur Trade and the history of French Canada, I recommend The Canadian Frontier (1534-1760) by W.J. Eccles. I have a number of other books that touch on the subject, but this one is very exhaustive and fun to read. Some day I’ll have to put up a bibliography on the almanac.