Were the early years of the North American fur trade a golden age for indigenous communities? (1590-1701)

The trading of furs in the north eastern regions of the American continent during the 17th century brought Europeans and indigenous people into contact with one another on a level neither had experienced before. The Europeans wished to prosper from the abundance of furs in the region, while the indigenous population quickly grew to desire the European trade goods offered to them.

This exchange being so profitable for the native populations has led some scholars to label the early fur trade as a golden age for these communities. In exploring the idea that the trade was a golden age for the indigenous people involved, this study will look at not only the material aspect of the goods they received but also the ways in which these goods changed native society: how the trade shaped relationships between both indigenous groups and Europeans, the ways in which the proximity the trade caused resulted in changes to spirituality, the introduction of diseases, as well as changes in perspectives.

This thesis aims to look at some of changes caused by the fur trade of the 17th century and see if the resulting outcomes do indeed show a golden age for indigenous people?