Wisconsin History Day By Day

Related Web Sites:
Timeline - A Brief History of the Fur Trade

John Jacob Astor

Voyageurs (Wikipedia)

VThe Fur Trade Era: 1650s to 1850s


Read More About It

"The Fur Trade of the Upper Mississippi Valley" by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin

"Traders in Time" by Janie Lynn Panagopoulos


Vocabulary:

capitalists
dominant


Interesting Fact:

The fur trade made John Jacob Astor one of the richest men in the world. In his will, he gave money to start a reference library in New York City. The Astor Library opened in 1849.


Study Questions:

  • What impact did the fur trade have on the Native Americans?
  • What were the primary animals trapped in Wisconsin?
  • Between the competing companies, how wide spread were the fur trading posts?


    U.S. historical events that occurred on December 31:

    1879: Thomas Edison publicly demonstrates his electric light for the first time.



    • December 31

    December 31, 1806: The Michilimackinac Co. was formed by a group of Montreal capitalists for the purpose of carrying on the growing fur trade in the west. The company became the dominant factor in the fur trade in Wisconsin. Its name was changed to the Southwest Co. and was controlled by John Jacob Astor beginning in 1811.

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