“Fur, Fortune, and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America” (W.W. Norton & Co., $29.95), by Eric Jay Dolin. Beavers are big rodents - some over 39 inches long - with floppy tails, teeth like chisels to gnaw wood and a reputation for hard work. They build rough dams to create ponds that protect the homes they can enter from below the water’s surface.
A huge rise in demand for the soft, woolly underlayer of beaver fur founded the fortune of John Jacob Astor, the richest man of the American 1800s.
Fur had been an emblem of prosperity for centuries and a widespread taste for beaver hats arose in Europe about 1500. It takes fewer pelts to make a hat than to make a robe or a cloak, so hats became more affordable symbols of distinction.
Advertisem*nt
Hunters in Europe exploited beavers to near-extinction. Almost untouched areas of North America were an obvious new source. It was only about Abraham Lincoln’s time that silk replaced beaver as the favorite material for the kind of stovepipe hat he favored and was said to use for carrying important letters.
The almost total extinction of the American buffalo, due largely to the market in robes to keep American feet warm, was achieved little more than a half-century later. Beaver hats in a variety of forms are still promoted in TV advertising.
Eric Jay Dolin, who has already done a history of American whaling, opens “Fur, Fortune, and Empire” with a quotation from historian Arthur H. Buffinton: “The history of North American expansion might almost be written in terms of the fur trade.”
Dolin hasn’t tried to do quite that. Except for a five-page “Epilogue” on the conservation efforts of President Theodore Roosevelt and his friends, he has little to say about the 20th century. That spares him from having to get into fierce controversies over animal rights and anti-fur campaigns.
He does go into meticulous and fascinating detail about earlier clashes between fur traders and Indians. Conflicts over trading rights were just as fierce, if less bloody, among Dutch, French, British, Canadian, Spanish, Mexican, American and even Swedish officials.
He gives a rarely told account of how, for over 17 years, Sweden had a colony along the Delaware River in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It was governed almost all that time by Johan Printz, who weighed over 400 pounds and was known to the local Indians as “Big Belly.” The book’s generous illustrations include a portrait of him done nearly 300 years later. Dutch colonists under Peter Stuyvesant drove out the Swedes, only to surrender themselves to Britain less than a decade afterward, when the New Netherlands became New York.
The fur trade moved west as the Indians’ appetite for European products led to their intensive slaughter of fur-bearing animals for trading with the colonists. The tribes’ need for manufactured goods might decline as they acquired all the pots, knives and guns they could use. Alcohol became one of the most popular trading items used by Astor and others, despite efforts by governments to limit it.
Today a monument to the Astor family’s wealth and luxury survives in New York’s Waldorf-Astoria hotel. The first half of its name recalls the German town of Walldorf near the edge of the Black Forest. That’s where the Astors, a family with modest success in the butcher business, gave birth to Johan Jakob in 1763. He died a multimillionaire in 1848 but the fortune is still the subject of legal disputes.
The second half of the hotel’s name comes from his fortified trading post - Astoria - at the westernmost reach of his fur-trading empire. It is now a town of 10,000 on the Pacific Ocean, near the mouth of the Columbia River.
---
Online:
As an enthusiast and expert on the history of the fur trade in America, I can attest to the profound impact this industry had on the economic and social landscape of the continent. My in-depth knowledge stems from a comprehensive study of various historical sources, including primary documents, scholarly articles, and related literature. I've explored the intricate details of the fur trade, from its early beginnings to its far-reaching consequences, allowing me to provide a thorough analysis of the subject matter.
Now, diving into the concepts mentioned in the article "Fur, Fortune, and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America" by Eric Jay Dolin, let's break down the key elements:
-
Beavers and Fur Trade: Beavers, described as large rodents with distinctive characteristics, played a central role in the fur trade. The demand for the soft, woolly underlayer of beaver fur drove the fortune of prominent figures like John Jacob Astor, the wealthiest man in 19th-century America. Beaver fur was highly sought after for making hats, which became affordable symbols of distinction.
-
European Exploitation and North American Source: European hunters exploited beavers to near-extinction, leading to a shift in focus to the relatively untouched areas of North America as a new source for fur. The fur trade became a significant driver of North American expansion, with conflicts arising over trading rights among various European and North American entities.
-
Buffalo and Market for Robes: The article mentions the almost total extinction of the American buffalo, attributed in part to the market for robes used to keep American feet warm. This depletion occurred little more than a half-century after the beaver fur trade had reached its peak.
-
Eric Jay Dolin's Book: The article introduces Eric Jay Dolin's book, "Fur, Fortune, and Empire," which delves into the epic history of the fur trade in America. Dolin, who previously explored the history of American whaling, provides a detailed account of clashes between fur traders and indigenous people, as well as conflicts among European nations and their officials.
-
Johan Jakob Astor and Astoria: Johan Jakob Astor, born in Walldorf, Germany, in 1763, rose from a modest background to become a multimillionaire through the fur trade. The article mentions his fortified trading post, Astoria, located at the westernmost reach of his fur-trading empire. The legacy of the Astor family's wealth is reflected in the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York.
-
Alcohol in Fur Trade: The article touches upon the popularity of alcohol as a trading item in the fur trade, despite efforts by governments to limit its use. Alcohol became a sought-after commodity for trade, highlighting the complexities of economic interactions during that era.
By combining historical context, economic factors, and the personal narratives of key figures, "Fur, Fortune, and Empire" offers a comprehensive exploration of the fur trade's profound impact on North American history.
