The Fur Traders
Canada was fortunate in animals that have fur.The First Nations were eager to trade pelts for supplies.Beaver fur was good for hats and these were in demand in Europe.The fur trade was highly regulated until 1663 in the name of the king the company of The Hundred Associates and a private trading company controlled New France.Agents that were licensed by the company were the only ones that were allowed to trade with the First Nations people.The trappers and hunters brought types of furs to the regions of present-day Montreal, Quebec and Trois-Rivierés where agents traded the furs for goods such as hatchets, metal pots, etc. The coureurs de bois were traders who left New France to physically trade with trappers and hunters. The first coureurs de bois brought a big load of pelts back to New France. Médard Chouart des Groseilliers and Nicolas Forget came with 50 canoes filled with beaver pelts. The coureurs were trading illegally and had to be cautious. King Louis the 14th took control over New France in 1663 and it then was legal for anyone in New France to trade with the First Nations. The number of coureurs de bois increased after company went to the high country inland. They were far away from New France for years. Not everyone was happy, the governor tried to control the fur trade for selfish reasons but the coureurs de bois threatened to challenge the control. This issue led to problems between the coureurs de bois and the governor. In the late 1670's there were approximately 300 to 400 coureurs de bois who were away for a long time. This worried the authorities who thought the coureurs de bois not being in New France would be bad for the colony. The total population of New France was approximately 11 500 people and about 800 coureurs de bois in high country. France needed about 20 000 kilograms of pelts once a year but the coureurs were bringing way more than that to New France. So the king put an end to coureurs de bois in 1696.