New France - Monday Oct. 25

New France

The Barter System

definition: the exchange of goods
used historically among First Nations Peoples
included food, tobacco, furs, pottery etc.
was used to meet their needs 

Wampum
 definition: a string of shells / beads used between trading partners to show honor and respect

Pos (+) and Neg (-) of Trade:
Pros Neg
French:
+obtained furs which were in demand
+they could get rich
- usually had to wait for the First Nations to bring the furs to them
- created enemies

First Nations
+obtained new technologies (metal utensils, guns)
- often taken advantage of (unfair trade)
- developed enemies

Key Players in French Fur Trade:
Coureurs de Bois
-traded with First Nations & carried furs to trading posts

First Nations
-men hunted & trapped
-women skinned & prepared the pelts
-both traveled to trading posts by canoe to trade

Merchants
-financed & organized trade
-purchased trading goods from Europe & shipped them to Canada
-shipped furs to Europe & sold them to hat makers

Role of First Nations in the Fur Trade

Helping the Europeans:
1) showed them how to find food
2) taught them how to make medicines
3) provided advice for clothing for cold weather
4) provided transportation (canoes, snowshoes, toboggans)
5) shared knowledge of region
6) translation (in trade negotiations)
7) helped in negotiations
8) provided workers: cooks, sewing, snaring animals etc.

First Nations Women
1) prepared furs
2) worked in the forts- making moccasins & clothing, collected birch bark for canoes, wove fishing nets & snowshoes, gathered firewood, snared small animals, collected nuts, roots, berries etc.
3) worked “on the road” – paddled canoes, worked in camps
4) shared language and geography skills – interpreters, guides

Contribution & Benefits of the Fur Trade
First Nations Men
Furs, canoes, snowshoes, guidance, medicines, clothing, food, workers
Iron tools and pots, guns, hatchets, thread, blankets, work, new knowledge

First Nations’ Women
Prepared pelts, worked in forts, paddled canoes, worked in camps, language & geography skills
Similar to those of First Nations men

Europeans
Traded goods (iron pots, tools, weapons, etc), built trading posts, paid wages, provided a market for furs
Furs for , profit, travel, food, medicines, new knowledge, clothing, transportation, claims to new territories

New France Government Officials

King of France:
Most power
Appointed officials to carry out his wishes
impact on fur trade - had major control but was far away

Jean Baptiste Colbert
In charge of planning
Used the mercantile system
Prevented trading posts from being built in the interior
impact on the fur trade - Benefited more than the colony
Relied on Wendat traders to bring furs to

Jean Talon
Intendent
Increased number of colonists
impact on the fur trade - more colonists meant more people involved in the fur trade

Marquis de Frontenac
Governor
Sent coureur de bois into interior to trade and set up trading posts
impact on the fur trade - Greatly expanded the fur trade by directly going to the source rather than waiting for furs to come to them





New France Government Officials