The Fur Trade
What was the main item Europeans wanted to trade for?
Animal Fur & Beaver Pelts
Who were the first people living in Canada before Europeans arrived?
First Nations Peoples
Was the fur trade positive, negative, or both?
Both, because it changed the way the europeans and indigenous people lived, good and bad.
Who brought new diseases to North America?
Europeans
What was one main reason explorers came to North America?
To find resources, land, or trade routes
Which animal was most important in the Fur Trade?
Beaver
Name one of the indigenous groups other than Metis?
Inuit, Cree, Anishaabee
Name one positive effect of the fur trade
New goods and tools
What happened to many Indigenous communities because of disease?
They died and the population decreased
How did the arrival of explorers change life for Indigenous peoples?
Led to trade, new goods, but also disease and major lifestyle changes
What did Indigenous peoples receive in trade? (name one)
Weapons, metal and blankets
What is one way Indigenous peoples travelled?
Canoe, snowshoe, dog sled
Name one negative effect
Overhunting, dependance on trading and conflict between first nations groups
How might losing many people in a community affect daily life?
Loss of knowledge, less hunters, less resources and food
Which explorer came from England and landed in Canada in 1497?
John Cabot
Where did most trading take place?
Why was the land important to Indigenous peoples?
The animals, food, shelter & resources on land weren't considered beneath them
What happened to animal populations like the Beaver?
It decreased
Why did the bodies of the First Nations peoples have difficulty fighting European diseases?
No previous exposure to sickness and nothing to help them fight it.
Which French explorer travelled the St. Lawrence River and claimed land in Canada, calling it New France?
Jacques Cartier
Why were beaver pelts so valuable in Europe?
To make hats that were waterproof, high quality and would last generations
How did Indigenous peoples help Europeans survive?
Taught them how to hunt, travel, and live off the land
How did the fur trade change daily life for Indigenous peoples?
More hunting for trading and less for shelter and food
What was the name of the disease they brought over?
Scurvy
Where were the European explorers originally going when sailing west across the ocean, but accidentally ended up in Canada?
Asia