The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued.

The North American fur trade is the (typically) historical commercial trade of furs and other goods in North America, beginning in the eastern provinces of French Canada and the northeastern American colonies (soon-to-be northeastern United States).

For nearly 200 years afterward, European American traders exchanged manufactured goods with Native people for valuable furs. The Ojibwe and Dakota held powerful positions, prompting both the French and British to actively court their military and trade allegiance.

The fur trade was a vast commercial enterprise across the wild, forested expanse of what is now Canada. It was at its peak for nearly 250 years, from the early ...

The fur trade was based on pelts destined either for the luxury clothing market or for the felting industries, of which hatting was the most important. This was a transatlantic trade. The animals were trapped and exchanged for goods in North America, and the pelts were transported to Europe for processing and final sale.

Fur trading refers to the business of buying and selling animal pelts and furs, which became a major economic activity in North America during the colonial period. This trade not only influenced the relationships between European settlers and Indigenous peoples but also shaped the development of the economy and society in North America.

The fur trade was a thriving industry in North America from the 16th through 19th centuries. When Europeans first settled in North America, they traded with Indigenous peoples (known in different places as First Nations, Native Americans, or American Indians).

Involving half a dozen European nations and numerous American Indian tribes, the fur trade began in the 1500s. Native Americans traded furs for supplies such as tools, weapons, and horses. The furs, in turn, were utilized to make hats, coats, and …

The fur trade began in the 1500's as an exchange between Indians and Europeans. The Indians traded furs for such goods as tools and weapons. Beaver fur, which was used in Europe to make felt hats, became the most valuable of these furs.

Discover how the fur trade fueled America's westward expansion in the 18th and 19th centuries, shaping the U.S. map and paving the way for growth and development.