fur trading

Fur trading was a historically significant economic activity where explorers, traders, and Indigenous peoples exchanged animal pelts, primarily beaver, for European goods like tools, cloth, and firearms. Conducted mainly from the 1600s to the 1800s in North America, it involved setting up trading posts and forming alliances with Indigenous tribes to secure pelts. Profitable for traders and vital for European fashion trends, fur trading shaped territorial exploration, settlement patterns, and cultural interactions, leaving a lasting impact on the development of North American regions.