Fur trade

The fur trade is a worldwide industry that deals with getting and selling the fur of animals. For many years, the fur of animals that live in cold places, like forests and near the poles, has been very valuable. Because of this trade, people explored and settled in places such as Siberia, northern North America, and islands like the South Shetland and South Sandwich Islands.

Today, the fur trade is not as important as it used to be. Most fur now comes from animals raised on special farms or caught in traps, but many people argue against it. Groups that care about animals say that the way fur is obtained can be very harsh. In some clothes, fur has been replaced with materials made by people, such as the fake fur used on the edges of parkas.

Continental fur trade

Russian fur trade

Before Europeans reached the Americas, Russia was an important place for getting animal fur. It started in the early years, with trades happening near the Baltic and Black seas. The main market was in the city of Leipzig in Germany. The first Russian fur traders were from Kievan Rus'.

Russia sent out raw furs like those from martens, beavers, wolves, foxes, squirrels, and hares. Later, as Russians moved into Siberia, they found many animals with valuable fur, such as Arctic foxes, lynxes, sables, sea otters, and ermines. Russia became a big player in the fur trade, helping develop Siberia and other areas.

When Europeans reached North America, they found lots of beavers and other animals with fur. This made the continent a key place for getting furs for making hats and clothes in Europe. Portugal and Spain also joined in the fur trade after the 1400s.

Siberian fur trade

Main article: Siberian fur trade

From the 10th century, people from Novgorod used the fur resources from areas near the White Lake. They set up trading places along rivers like the Volga and Vychegda and asked the Komi people to give them furs. Novgorod was a key trading center and part of the Hanseatic League.

As Moscow grew stronger in the 1400s, it started to compete with Novgorod for the fur trade. Moscow also took control over many native tribes. In 1552, Ivan IV sent an army to take over the Khanate of Kazan, expanding Russian control. Later, there were conflicts with local tribes and the Stroganov family as Russia kept moving east.

Russian traders treated native people as subjects and built places called zimovye to collect fur. By 1620, Russia controlled a huge area from the Urals to the Yenisey valley. Furs became a major source of wealth for Russia, helping it get goods from Europe.

The Russian government got money from the fur trade through taxes. Furs were very popular in Europe, especially sable and marten, because European forests had fewer animals with fur. This made fur trading very important for Russia.

The main way Russia got furs was by making native people give them as tribute, called yasak. This was enforced through force. Over time, traders used both trading and force to get furs. There were two types of trading groups called vatagi.

North American fur trade

Main article: North American fur trade

The fur trade in North America started in the 1500s between Europeans and First Nations. It was very important in the early history of contact between Europeans and native peoples in what is now the United States and Canada. Europeans wanted furs like beaver and sea otter, as well as deer, bear, ermine, and skunk pelts.

Fur robes were made from sewn-together beaver pelts and were used to make felt hats in Europe. Beaver pelts became a major material for hat makers, especially in France and later in England.

Early organization

Captain Chauvin tried to control the fur trade in New France in 1599. French explorers and traders built relationships with Amerindians and expanded the trade. Furs were prized for warmth, especially beaver pelts for hats, which were expensive status symbols in Europe.

By 1613, expeditions were set up to trade with the Mohawk and Mohican. The Dutch also started sending ships to trade furs. In England, companies learned that furs were a good way for colonists to send value back to Britain.

England was slower to join the fur trade, but once colonies were established, furs became important. Furs were sent from Virginia and Plymouth Colony to London. English merchants tried to take over France’s fur trade in the St Lawrence River valley.

Much of the fur trade in North America was controlled by Canadian networks under monopolies held by companies like the Company of One Hundred Associates and the French West India Company. The trade reached as far west as Winnipeg by the mid-1700s.

In 1668, the English fur trade entered a new phase with the Hudson’s Bay Company, which got a monopoly to trade in rivers flowing into Hudson Bay. The company sent ships every year to bring back furs, mainly beaver, for the English hat-making trade.

In the Southern colonies, a deerskin trade started around 1670, with traders exchanging pelts for European goods. Colonial traders also brought alcohol for trade, which caused problems and led to restrictions.

European traders made large profits from the fur trade. For example, a metal axe head could be traded for one beaver pelt, which could buy many axe heads in England. Both Europeans and native people benefited, but there were also problems with alcohol and changing lifestyles.

After the United States became independent, it regulated trading with Native Americans. Early exploration parties were often fur-trading expeditions, marking the first European records of many regions.

Role in economic anthropology

Economic historians and anthropologists have studied the fur trade’s role in early North American economies. Different views exist on how native economic patterns worked, with some seeing it as part of a global struggle and others focusing on local trading companies.

Rich argued that Indians had different ideas about property and trade compared to Europeans. Arthur J. Ray suggested that the fur trade mixed different types of trade. Richard White saw the fur trade as a “middle ground” where Europeans and natives had to learn from each other.

Present

The Fur Institute of Canada says there are about 60,000 active trappers, with many being indigenous peoples. Fur farming exists in Canada, with Nova Scotia being a big producer. In the U.S., there were about 176,573 trappers in 2015, mostly in the Midwest. California banned trapping for commercial and recreation purposes in 2015.

The North American Fur Auction happens four times a year, attracting buyers worldwide. About 270,000 families in the U.S. and Canada earn some income from fur trapping.

Maritime fur trade

Main article: Maritime fur trade

The maritime fur trade was a system where ships traveled to get furs, especially from sea otters, from the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast and Alaska. These furs were then traded in China for items like tea, silks, and porcelain, which were sold in Europe and the United States.

This trade began with Russian traders moving east from Kamchatka along the Aleutian Islands to Alaska. British and American traders joined in the 1780s, focusing on the coast of British Columbia. The trade grew strongly around the year 1800 but began to decline in the 1810s. As sea otter numbers fell, traders looked for other animals and new markets. The trade continued until the mid-to-late 1800s. Russians controlled much of Alaska's coast during this time, while British and American ships competed along the southern coast. Later, British companies became the main traders in this area.

The maritime fur trade connected the Pacific Northwest to a large international trade network across the North Pacific Ocean. It linked places like the Pacific Northwest coast, China, the Hawaiian Islands, Europe, and the United States. This trade brought great wealth to the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, but also caused changes in their societies, including more warfare and disease. Despite these changes, their cultures continued to grow and adapt. The trade also helped New England's economy grow, leading to developments in industries like textile manufacturing.

The most valuable furs came from northern sea otters found between the Columbia River and Cook Inlet. After these otters were hunted to very low numbers, traders moved to California to hunt southern sea otters, who were also nearly hunted out of existence. British and American traders sold their furs in the Chinese port of Guangzhou, while Russian traders sold theirs through the Mongolian town of Kyakhta.