Coureur de bois, (French: “wood runner”) French Canadian fur trader of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. … They sold
brandy
to First Nation people (Native Americans), which created difficulties for the tribes with whom they traded.
What was traded in the fur trade?
The major trade goods were
woollen blankets, cotton and linen cloth, metal goods, firearms and fishing gear
. Tobacco, alcohol, trade jewellery and other luxury items accounted for only ten percent of the goods traded. The fur traders received far more than furs from Native people.
What did the coureurs de bois trade with the First Nations?
The coureurs des bois (or coureurs de bois), translated as wood runners or runners in the woods, were travelling, unlicensed fur traders in New France between 1650 and 1700. They primarily sought
fur from beavers, but also foxes, otters, ermines, muskrats, deer and moose
.
What did the French trade to profit on trade?
When the French first entered North America, their primary focus was on gaining wealth through the fur trade. The fur trade in the seventeenth century was globalized: that is, furs obtained from the Indians in North America were transported to Europe where they were sold for a profit. …
What did wood runners do?
These were the coureurs des bois, or wood runners. They were traders, and were
prepared to swap weapons for furs
. One rifle, stood on its end, could be exchanged for a stack of beaver pelts the same height. The coureurs des bois faced deadly rapids, canyons, blizzards, bears, wolves, and marauding Iroquois.
How old were the Coureur de Bois?
The coureurs de bois were relatively young men,
usually between 20 and 30 years of age
, and who were not afraid of danger or physical exertion. They usually set off in the spring, travelling in bark canoes filled with goods to the “Upper Country” of the Great Lakes region. They did not return until the fall.
Where did the coureur de bois come from?
Coureurs des bois were itinerant, unlicenced fur traders from
New France
. They were known as “wood-runners” to the English on Hudson Bay and “bush-lopers” to the Anglo-Dutch of New York.
Which country started the fur trade?
The fur trade began in the 1600s in what is now
Canada
. It continued for more than 250 years. Europeans traded with Indigenous people for beaver pelts. The demand for felt hats in Europe drove this business.
How did the First Nations benefit from the fur trade?
First Nations people gathered furs and brought them to posts to trade for textiles, tools, guns, and other goods. … The exchange benefited both of
the trade partners because they each had something that the other valued and did not have
. Beaver was so valuable that it became almost like money.
What is beaver fur called?
There were two types of beaver pelts:
castor gras
and castor sec. The term “castor gras” designates pelts taken by the Indians when prime, trimmed into rectangular shape, 5 to 8 of them sewn together and worn with the fur next to the body for 12 to 18 months.
How did French settlers make money?
The fur trade
was the major money source for the French in North America. When the French first came to North America, many of the settlers fished…
How did people in New France make money?
But
the fur trade
was the real economic driver of New France. … The harvesting of furs created wealth, stimulated the exploration of the continent and created alliances with many Aboriginal peoples.
How did the Spanish treat the Native Americans?
Natives were subjects of the Spanish crown, and to treat them
as less than human violated the laws of God, nature, and Spain
. He told King Ferdinand that in 1515 scores of natives were being slaughtered by avaricious conquistadors without having been converted.
What is the difference between a voyageur and a coureur de bois?
What is the difference between the coureurs des bois and the voyageurs?
The coureurs des bois were active during the French Regime
. They were small businessmen trapping fur animals and trading. The voyageurs, for their part, were hired hands.
What did Coureur de Bois eat?
What did the Coureurs des bois eat? The Coureurs des Bois ate
fish, pemmican, rubaboo, pork, etc
. If they didn’t find anything to eat, they would have to make a black soup made of moss that comes from rocks.
What is the meaning of the Coureur de Bois?
:
a French or métis trapper of North America and especially of Canada
.
