A coureur des bois (runner of the woods) was an individual who engaged in the fur trade without permission from the French authorities. The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal Fur. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The coureurs des bois operated during the late 17th century and early 18th century in eastern North America. Later, a limited number of permits were issued to coureurs des bois who became known as voyageurs.
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Background
During the 17th century, the fur trade was very lucrative for New France. Arthur Henry Howard Heming (1870-1940 was a Canadian painter and novelist known as the "chronicler of the North" for his paintings sketches essays and books about The Viceroyalty of New France (Nouvelle-France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Competition was fierce, and many colonists risked the journey west and north through hostile Iroquois territory from the settlements around Montreal to the pays d'en haut, or "upper country" (the area around the Great Lakes) to seek out Native trappers to trade with. The Iroquois Confederacy (also known as the "League of Peace and Power" the "Five Nations" the "Six Nations" or the "People of the Longhouse Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. These coureurs des bois were not looked upon favourably by Montreal authorities or royal officials. They disapproved of settlers leaving the developing agricultural areas to seek their fortune trading. The French authorities would rather have let the transportation of furs be handled by the natives rather than independent unregulated colonial traders, who were bringing in so many furs that the market was oversupplied. The unregulated traffic in furs also undermined Montreal's role as the focal point for the fur trade — where traders would exchange beaver pelts for trade goods such as clothing, muskets and copper pots. Beavers are two primarily nocturnal semi-aquatic species of Rodent, one native to North America and one to Europe A musket is a muzzle -loaded Smoothbore Long gun, which is intended to be fired from the shoulder Some illicit traders also caused problems by trading alcohol for furs. In Chemistry, an alcohol is any Organic compound in which a Hydroxyl group ( - O[[hydrogen H]]) is bound to a Carbon
Some coureurs des bois became famous, including Étienne Brûlé, Louis Joliet, Médard des Groseilliers, Pierre-Esprit Radisson, Jean Nicolet, Guillaume Couture, Jean-Baptiste Chalifoux and Jacques de Noyon. Étienne Brûlé ( c 1592 ( Champigny-sur-Marne, France) &ndash c Louis Jolliet, also known as Louis Joliet with only one L ( September 21, 1645 &ndash 1700 was a French Canadian explorer Médard Chouart des Groseilliers (1618 &ndash 1696 was a French explorer and Fur trader in Canada. Pierre-Esprit Radisson (1636 &ndash 1710 was a French -born explorer and mapper whose exploration of 1668 led to the formation of the Hudson's Bay Company. Jean Nicolet (Nicollet de Belleborne (1598 - November 1, 1642) was a French Coureur de bois noted for exploring Green Bay in early Guillaume Couture (or Cousture) ( January 14 1618 – April 4 1701) was a citizen of New France. Jacques de Noyon (1668 &ndash 1745 was a French Canadian explorer and Coureur des bois.
Voyageurs
By 1681, the French authorities realized the traders had to be controlled so that the industry might remain profitable. Frances Anne Hopkins, (February 2 1838 &ndash – March 5 1919 daughter of Frederick William Beechey was born in England and had a talent for painting They therefore legitimized and limited the numbers of coureurs des bois by establishing a system that used permits (congés). This legitimization created a "second-generation" coureur des bois: the voyageur, which literally means "traveller". This name change came as a result of a need for the legitimate fur traders to distance themselves from the unlicensed ones. Voyageurs held a permit or were allied with a Montreal merchant who had one.
The fur trade was thus controlled by a small number of Montreal merchants. New France also began a policy of expansion in an attempt to dominate the trade. French influence extended west, north and south. Forts and trading posts were built with the help of explorers and traders. Treaties were negotiated with native groups, and fur trading became very profitable and organized. The system became complex, and the voyageurs, many of whom had been independent traders, slowly became hired labourers.
For the most part, voyageurs were the crews hired to man the canoes that carried trade goods and supplies to "rendezvous posts" (example: Grand Portage) where goods and supplies were exchanged for furs. Minnesota ( Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers Grand Portage National Monument, located within the Boreal forest on the north shore The canoes traveled along well-established routes. They then transported the furs back to Lachine near Montreal. The Fur Trade at Lachine National Historic Site of Canada ( Lieu historique national de la Commerce-de-la-Fourrure-à-Lachine) is a historic building located in the Some voyageurs stayed in the back country over the winter and transported the trade goods from the rendezvous posts to farther-away French outposts. These men were known as the hivernants (winterers). They also helped negotiate trade in native villages. In the spring they would carry furs from these remote outposts back to the rendezvous posts. Voyageurs also served as guides for explorers (such as Pierre La Vérendrye). Pierre Gaultier de Varennes sieur de La Vérendrye ( November 17, 1685 &ndash December 5, 1749) was a French Canadian military officer The majority of these canoe men were French Canadian and/or Métis. The Métis are descendants of marriages of Cree, Ojibway Algonquin, Saulteaux, and Menominee aboriginals to Europeans, They were usually from Island of Montreal or seigneuries and parishes along or near the St. Lawrence River. This article is about the medieval system "Manors" redirects here A parish is a Local church; it is an administrative unit typically found in episcopal or presbyterian churches Saint Lawrence River (in French: fleuve Saint-Laurent; Kahnawáˀkye in Tuscarora, Kaniatarowanenneh meaning big waterway Many were from France and many were members of Native Aboriginal tribes. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Aboriginal people in Canada, also known as Canadian aboriginal citizens, are people who belong to recognized indigenous groups in the Canadian Constitution Act
The voyageurs were highly valued employees of trading companies, such as the North West Company (NWC) and the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). For the grocery chain see The North West Company. The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal Because of the effectiveness of voyageurs, the NWC was able to challenge the HBC. The HBC started hiring their own voyageurs in 1815 to help them compete with the NWC.
The voyageurs are legendary, especially in French Canada. They are folk heroes celebrated in folklore and music. The reality of their lives was that of toil. For example, they had to be able to carry two 90 pound bundles of fur over portages; more suffered from strangulated hernias than any other injury. A hernia is a protrusion of a tissue, structure or part of an organ through the muscular tissue or the membrane by which it is normally contained
Voyageurs who only paddled between Montreal and Grand Portage were known as "mangeurs de lard" (pork eaters) because of their diet, much of which consisted of salt pork. This is considered to be a derogatory term. Those who overwintered and ate "off the land" (mainly fish, pemmican and Rubaboo) were called "hommes du nord" (northern men) or "hivernants" (winterers). Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two Pemmican is a concentrated mixture of Fat and Protein used as a nutritious emergency foodstuff Rubaboo was a basic stew or Porridge consumed by 'coureurs des bois' and 'voyageurs' (fur traders and Métis people of North America. Voyageurs were expected to work 14 hours per day and paddle at a rate of 55 strokes per minute. Few could swim. Many drowned in rapids or in storms while crossing lakes. Portages and routes were often indicated by lob trees, or trees that had their branches cut off just below the top of the tree. Portage refers to the practice of carrying a Canoe or other Boat over land to avoid an obstacle on the water route (such as Rapids or a Waterfall Lob trees were prominent trees used as guides or landmarks along voyageur Canoe routes
References
- Brown, Craig, editor. The Illustrated History of Canada. Toronto: Lester & Orpen Dennys Ltd. , 1987. ISBN 0-88619-147-5.
- Podruchny, Carolyn. Making the Voyageur World : Travelers and Traders in the North American Fur Trade. Toronto : University of Toronto Press, 2006. ISBN 9780802094285.
External links
- The Fur Trade in New France: Les Coureurs des Bois
- US National Park Service page on voyageurs
- Rendezvous Voyageur: Gateway to the Pays d'en haut
- Festival du Voyageur
- Video documentary on 'The Voyageurs - Men of the Fur Trade'
- Canadian Vignettes: Voyageurs
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