LESSON 14:
THEY WENT FOR FUR
FOCUS ACTIVITY
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Lewis and Clark' expedition from 1804 - 1805 brought back reports of the wild game and fur-bearing animals in the Rocky Mountains. Several fur companies were interested in getting the furs from these animals. Finding few Native Americans interested in trapping, these companies hired frontiersmen to obtain the pelts. These trappers became known as "mountain men." They roamed throughout the wild areas of the Rocky Mountains and on to the Pacific Coastal Region in search of fur-bearing animals.
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Novels and movies have portrayed mountain men as poor, unsocial, unwashed, and mean old men, who wore dirty clothing, and were in need of a good haircut. They were illustrated as men who spent most of their lives hunting and trapping, far from civilization.
That image may have been true for a few mountain men in the early 1800s, but they were not all like that. Most mountain men went into the fur trapping and trading business to make money, and for a time, these men could earn large sums of money. Many were young men in their late teens or early twenties who became trappers and hunters for only a few years. Jim Bridger began his long, colorful career as a mountain man at the age of 17.
That image may have been true for a few mountain men in the early 1800s, but they were not all like that. Most mountain men went into the fur trapping and trading business to make money, and for a time, these men could earn large sums of money. Many were young men in their late teens or early twenties who became trappers and hunters for only a few years. Jim Bridger began his long, colorful career as a mountain man at the age of 17.
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Mountain men probably didn’t bathe often and wore dirty clothes, but few people at that time took baths or changed clothes very often. Did they have long, uncombed hair? They probably did, but so did a lot of other men at that time. Were they unsociable? Some might have been, but not all of them were. Many were married and had families. Many would travel in large groups to a central camp, and then each would set out in a different direction to set traplines. Most surprising, not all mountain men were men! A few mountain women also made their livings trapping and hunting.
Lesson Toolbox
Words to Know
Mountain Men: fur traders and trappers who explored much of the Rocky Mountain regions
expedition
pelts
civilization
traplines
rendezvous
Oregon Trail by discovering the South Pass through the Rocky Mountains. This route was later one of the major overland routes to the West.
scouts
expedition
pelts
civilization
traplines
rendezvous
Oregon Trail by discovering the South Pass through the Rocky Mountains. This route was later one of the major overland routes to the West.
scouts
Mountain Men to Know
Jim Bridger
Kit Carson
Daniel Boone
Hugh Glass
Jim Beckworth
Jedediah Smith
John Jacob Astor
Jim Baker
Kit Carson
Daniel Boone
Hugh Glass
Jim Beckworth
Jedediah Smith
John Jacob Astor
Jim Baker
Places to Know
Rocky Mountain Region: The area of the Mountain West Region of the U.S. where most mountain men hunted beaver for beaver fur
Pacific Coastal Region: The area along the Pacific Coast of the U.S. where most mountain men hunted animals for furs
St. Louis, Missouri: The city where the Missouri Fur Company - that specialized in buffalo hides was located
Mississippi River: the point at which most be consider the divide between the Eastern and Western United States
Unit Resources
Unit 2 Games & Simulations
Unit 2 Videos
Unit 2 Glossary
Unit 2 Study Guides
Unit 2 Videos
Unit 2 Glossary
Unit 2 Study Guides
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Fur traders in the upper Missouri River area relied on Native Americans to bring bison hides to trading posts. From there the hides were sent down river to St. Louis. Manuel Lisa ran the Missouri Fur Company from about 1807 to 1820. This ad appeared in the Missouri Gazette & Public Advertiser on March 20, 1822.
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The Rocky Mountain fur trading system was quite different. There, beaver was the fur of choice. Beaver hats were the fashion statement of the day in America and Europe. Beaver and other pelts were sold at an annual rendezvous where buyers and trappers met. The furs were taken by wagons to be sold in larger cities.
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The first major American fur trading business was the Pacific Fur Company, which was started by John Jacob Astor in 1810. An expedition by Astor overland laid the groundwork for the Oregon Trail by discovering the South Pass through the Rocky Mountains. This route was later one of the major overland routes to the West.
By 1834, there was little demand for beaver and few beavers left to trap. The price for beaver pelts dropped as European hat manufacturers switched to silk instead of pelts. By the 1870's, most of the fur trade has ceased. After the fur trade died, the mountain men became invaluable guides and scouts for wagon trains, survey teams, and the army. Their skills in living off the land and their knowledge of Native Americans helped bring many pioneers safely across the country.
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Not only were the mountain men a symbol of America’s wild frontier, their role in westward expansion was also very important. They did not simply wander around the Rocky Mountains or the Pacific Coast waiting for people to tell adventure stories and tall tales about their lives. They were explorers and guides who helped settle the land west of the Mississippi.
Guided Reading Questions
Answer the following questions in your lesson chronicles using PQA format.
- Question
- Question
- Question
- Question
- Question
SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY
Activity Name
DIRECTIONS: In this activity,
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
Lesson Chronicles - Answering the Essential Question
A Lesson Chronicles Activity is an individual activity where you prove that you accomplished the lesson mission. Lesson Chronicles require you to keep a notebook or journal with a table of contents. Each entry should be dated. First, you write the lesson mission. Then you prove you "can do" whatever the mission says by answering the essential question of the lesson in PQA format. Remember PQA format means "Put the Question in the Answer".
DIRECTIONS: Work by yourself to prove you have completed today's mission successfully by answering the essential question for today.
HOMEWORK
Family Time
Remember, you have homework every night in Social Studies. Your homework is to show your Lesson Chronicles to your family and tell them what you learned today. Not only will this give you quality time with your family but it will help you review for your unit test. Go over your lesson chronicles entry from today everyday to help you study for the Topic Quiz and Unit Test.
END OF LESSON 14 MODULE
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What was the fur trade in the 1800s and early 1900s? Who was involved in the fur trade? What happened to the fur trade and the people involved?
Congratulations! You have completed Lesson 14 Module!
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