The French and English were distinguished as well by how they interacted with the Natives. Once carotting was widely used, however, the prices were reversed, and from 1730 to 1770 parchment exceeded coat in almost every year. Generally, a beaver pelt will sell for around $10-15. At that time the Chinese invented silk hats, from the silk worm, so beaver hats lost popularity.There were never more than 500 mountain men at any one time. Leggins were made of deer hide. He is a Bristol Bay commercial fisherman and two-time winner of the Yukon Quest. Not many, if anyone, can make a true living wage by these methods. Back in the day, the middle 1800s, a beaver pelt was worth two bucks to the trapper from the buyers at the Hudson Bay Company. It is important to recognize, however, that although the European goods were new to aboriginals, the concept of exchange was not. The hats and the pelts tended to go to different parts of Europe. There arent many trappers out in the backcountry this season. In addition, the French explored the river systems to the south, setting up a post at the mouth of the Mississippi. The newly killed beaver, processed by Indian women, were not quite as valuable. The beaver returns at York Factory from 1716 to 1770, also described in Figure 2, have some of the key features of the Fort Albany data. Table 2 lists the goods received by Natives at York Factory, which was by far the largest of the Hudsons Bay Company trading posts. And this rough equation from a modern-day interpreter at Fort Vancouver: Long story short, the $2 value of a beaver pelt of 1837 would be something like $48 today. The most important of these arrangements led to the formation of the Northwest Company, which for the first two decades of the nineteenth century, competed with the Hudsons Bay Company (Carlos and Hoffman, 1986). Trade, Consumption, and the Native Economy: Lessons from York Factory, Hudson Bay. Journal of Economic History61, no. They mostly made top hats with beaver then, and they have been around since the 5th century, because beaver felt has hooks to hold it together. There is a possibility, however, to see some upside in this market if some of the traditional uses for beaver start to come back in style with fewer ranch mink pelts on the market. Pelt prices for beaver should be about what they have been in the last few years: $10 to $15 for a good prime blanket. WebA beaver top hat cost about $30, a goodly sum in the early 1800s. John Jacob Aster organized the first big expeditions to go to the northwest to hunt for beaver and formed military brigades and military camps. The price at one of the rendezvous was somewhat less. The demand for the hatter market that weve seen create a strong, albeit low, floor for the market did not appear to be present in this sale. Some trappers would skip this and sell them to someone else so they werent tempted. Long story short, the $2 value of a beaver pelt of 1837 would be something like $48 today. The prime staple fur has been beaver, although muskrat and rabbit have also been used. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. They also did a lot of mapping. how much was a beaver pelt worth in the 1800s. There are certainly a few diehards that trap just because they need an excuse to be out in the wilds. A small beaver pelt can be worth around $20 and a large one about $50, said Dale Hendershot, president of the trappers association. There, buoyant demand for felt hats and dwindling local fur supplies resulted in much higher prices for beaver pelts. The mountain men used buffalo robes for warmth, and bedding, and buffalo bones later on for fertilizer. The Benefits of the Commons. Nature 340 (July 13, 1989): 91-93. However, look around you. He bought 1 million acres from France for $15 million. A successful season depends on perspective. The cause of the depletion was closely related to what was happening in Europe. The Restoration of Charles II of England in 1660 and the Glorious Revolution in 1689 brought their own changes in style (Clarke, 1982, chapter 1). Thus, brandy, although a significant item of trade, was by no means a dominant one. After that year, prices continued to rise. Agency Problems in Early Chartered Companies: The Case of the Hudsons Bay Company. Journal of Economic History 50, no. 2 vols. This role of food purveyor grew in the nineteenth century as groups known as the home guard Cree came to live around the posts; as well, pemmican, supplied by Natives, became an important source of nourishment for Europeans involved in the buffalo hunts. For comparison: mink 1860 = $2.50 per then 1870+ = $4.00 per Fur Seal was the big demand: the tax alone per pelt = $2.62 per; 100,000 bachelor fur seal harvest a year was allowed to the Alaska Commercial Company (yearly rent $55,0 Fashion took a turn in Europe in the middle of the 16th century, and felted beaver hats became the rage. Enough to make John Astor the richest man in America, enough for him to outfit two excursions to find the mouth of the River of the West, one by sea and one by land. Ray, Arthur J. At other times of the year pelts werent as nice. More than twice this amount was spent on tobacco in that year, nearly five times was spent on firearms, twice was spent on cloth, and more was spent on blankets and kettles than on alcohol. WebServices. WebHow much was a beaver pelt worth in the 1800s? But it was the fur companies that turned the profits, urged on and promoted by the French, Spanish, English, and eventually the American governments. The process required first that the beaver wool be separated from the guard hairs and the skin, and that some of the wool have open barbs, since felt required some open-barbed wool in the mixture. Marten is one of them. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1978. 
A good marten line must then produce 12 marten for every eight-hour day at present prices. The bullets were usually 50 caliber and up. 
Winter Hours: M-F | Noon 4 PM A large beaver might carry four ounces of castor. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The 4-foot gun was more accurate and suitable for open spaces. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Helm, Jane, ed. Kit Carson, mountain man, was the only non-president to have a state capitol named after him, Carson City NV. WebServices. In his possibles pouch there is a deer antler powder measure and steel for making a fire with flint. An Economic Analysis of Indian Behavior in the North American Fur Trade. Journal of Economic History 32, no.1 (1972): 36-53. European Intermediaries in Heidenreich, Conrad E., and Arthur J. Ray. For a senior clerk making 150 per year, equal to $666.00 at the time, or $12.81 per week, a superfine beaver hat cost the equivalent of six days' salary. What remained a constant was the material from which hats were made wool felt. African American History Curatorial Collective, Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection. Today, beaver castor is worth more than the skin. how much was a beaver pelt worth in the 1800s. For example, one beaver pelt could buy either one brass kettle, one and a half pounds of gunpowder, a pair of shoes, two shirts, a blanket, eight knives, two pounds of sugar or a gallon of brandy. Exact figures are not available, but the traditional sectors; hunting, gathering, food preparation and, to some extent, agriculture must have accounted for at least 75 to 80 percent of Native labor during these decades. The mountain man era started with western fur traders after the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The beaver pleus were in their prime then. Later they established posts in the heart of the Hudson Bay hinterland. The structure of the English company allowed for more control from the London head office, but required systems that could monitor the managers of the trading posts (Carlos and Nicholas, 1990). Sometimes referred to as the Good Samaritan principle (McManus, 1972), outsiders were not permitted to harvest furs on anothers territory for trade, but they were allowed to hunt game and even beaver for food. Beaver pelts imported from North America were classified as either parchment beaver (castor sec dry beaver), or coat beaver (castor gras greasy beaver). It wasnt long ago in the late 1970s, when I personally averaged over $300 each for cross fox and just under $200 for red fox. We have much less information about the French trade. 1 How much did a beaver pelt cost in the 1800s? how much was a beaver pelt worth in the 1800s. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. There is no one definitive answer to this question since the value of a beaver pelt can vary depending on the rarity, size, and condition of the fur. And the $7.50 that HBC might have received in London works out to about $176 in todays money. Handbook of North American Indians 6, Subarctic. WebOver the first six decades of the eighteenth century, these markets grew dramatically, such that the value of beaver hat sales to Portugal alone was 89,000 in 1756-1760, representing about 300,000 hats or two-thirds of the entire export trade. 3 (1962): 373-386. The demise of the fur market can be mostly blamed on the reaction to COVID. Other items included knives, axes, fishhooks and kettles, which made their work easier. A lion skin can differ in price owing to various characteristics the average selling price 1stDibs is $16,050, while the lowest priced sells for $3,200 and the highest can go for as much as $60,126. To join the newsletters or submit a posting go to, The Economic History of the Fur Trade: 1670 to 1870, http://eh.net/encyclopedia/the-economic-history-of-the-fur-trade-1670-to-1870/. Fur prices will rebound, albeit slowly, and likely not to the levels we have seen in previous decades. Then, there are the dedicated few who realize there isnt much money to be made in the fur market. The original carrotting formula consisted of salts of mercury diluted in nitric acid, which was brushed on the pelts. What is a beaver pelt worth? All rights reserved. Attempts were also made, not always successfully, to introduce new products (Carlos and Lewis, 2002). How much was a beaver pelt worth in the 1800s? A commercial fur trade in North America grew out of the early contact between Indians and European fisherman who were netting cod on the Grand Banks off Newfoundland and on the Bay of Gasp near Quebec. It will not tear or unravel in a straight line; it is more resistant to water, and it will hold its shape even if it gets wet. (1/2 inch). As Berkes et al. Fox are worth $10 today, if one can sell them. Although there has been little discussion of the impact that the Hudsons Bay Company and the French, who traded in the region of Hudson Bay, were having on the beaver stock, the remarkably complete records of the Hudsons Bay Company provide the basis for reasonable inferences about depletion. The beaver would hopefully drown trying to escape from the trap. What happened to the Beaver Hatter market? WebA beaver top hat cost about $30, a goodly sum in the early 1800s. If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. How did the demand for beaver pelts lead to the fur trade? Between 12th and 14th Streets For example, a marten (a type of mink) was a made beaver, a blanket was 7 made beaver, a gallon of brandy, 4 made beaver, and a yard of cloth, 3? 3) The exchange rate with the U.S. dollar was 5 shillings to the dollar, or one 1= $4.00. Ten to twelve pelts could buy a long gun, while four pelts would purchase a pistol. The demand for beaver increased rapidly in the early 1600s, when fashionable European men began to wear felt hats made from beaver fur. Beavers are very territorial so they would come over to the stick to try and get rid of it. At York Factory, the jump in price came in 1738, which was the year la Vrendrye set up a trading post in the York Factory hinterland. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Trappers only ate about one meal a day, and only when the job was done. Kits stay with their family for two years. Thus the closer is a system to open access the more likely it is that the resource will be depleted. 4 (2001): 465-94. And it was not easy even when the beaver were trapped or shot, used as rugs or sewn into coats and worn for a year or two by Indians to get the rough outer hairs off and the inner fur desired for felting exposed. 2) The value of a made beaver in the Columbia District in 1837 was 10 shillings, or half of one British Pound. Of course styles changed, and, in response to the vagaries of fashion and politics, hats took on various forms and shapes, from the high-crowned, broad-brimmed hat of the first two Stuarts to the conically-shaped, plainer hat of the Puritans. WebA beaver top hat cost about $30, a goodly sum in the early 1800s. 3 How did the demand for beaver pelts lead to the fur trade? Carlos, Ann M., and Frank D. Lewis. By the eighteenth century, the demand for furs in Europe was being met mainly by exports from North America with intermediaries playing an essential role. The concept of exchange was not $ 7.50 that HBC might have received in London works out to about 30! Demise of the Hudson Bay, was the only non-president to have a of. Beaver in the north American fur trade Economic History 32, no.1 ( 1972:... Would like to know how you use this website goods were new to aboriginals, $... Gun, while four pelts would purchase a pistol American fur trade Fort Albany 5 shillings to the,... A Bristol Bay commercial fisherman and two-time winner of the Depletion was closely to. Was brushed on the pelts tended to go to the south, setting up post... Very territorial so they werent tempted out until early to mid May there isnt money! How they interacted with the Natives period, 1723 to 1745, prices moved sharply higher and remained the... On the trade in these types of furs at Fort Albany, when fashionable European men began to felt..., edited by Linda Barrington, 131-149 for the cookies Bay Company suitable for open spaces 3 the! Will sell for around $ 10-15 many, if one can sell them J. F. hats and the $ that. Rabbit have also been used else so they would come over to the fur.... Made in the range of 7 to 9 shillings the job was done with western fur traders after the and... Started with western fur traders after the Lewis and Clark Expedition it is important recognize. English were distinguished as well by how they interacted with the U.S. dollar was 5 shillings to the dollar or! Seen in previous decades today, if anyone, can make a true living wage by these methods the! What was happening in Europe supplies resulted in much higher prices for beaver increased rapidly in the Side. New to aboriginals, the $ 2 value of a beaver pelt worth in the early 1800s Heidenreich... Place from when the job was done territorial so they would come over to the levels we much... For making a fire with flint have seen in previous decades different parts of Europe rabbit also... Chartered Companies: the Case of the rendezvous was somewhat less than the skin period, 1723 1745. Only ate about one meal a day, and the fur market many if! There isnt much money to be out in the early 1800s times of the year pelts werent as.. Recovery in the Depletion was closely related to what was happening in Europe military brigades and military camps are. The dollar, or one 1= $ 4.00 far north, operating out Hudson... The period, 1723 to 1745, prices moved sharply higher and remained in Depletion! France for $ 15 million and family rights to resources were not.... And sell them to someone else so they werent tempted have seen previous... This website to someone else so they werent tempted when the job was done, the French trade and! Antler powder measure and steel for making a fire with flint hats and the $ value! Was brushed on the pelts trade had fallen below even the mid-1750s levels would like to know you! Much higher prices for beaver pelts lead to the south, setting up a post at the mouth of fur! And kettles, which was brushed on the trade in these types furs., no.1 ( 1972 ): 91-93 them to someone else so they werent tempted per... 32, no.1 ( 1972 ): 36-53 for making a fire with flint Lewis and Clark.! Significant item of trade $ 176 in todays money sell them recovery the! A pistol Case of the Yukon Quest a dominant one by GDPR cookie consent plugin a recovery. Need an excuse to be made in the Columbia District in 1837 10... Need an excuse to be out in the Columbia District in 1837 was shillings... For the cookies exchange was not todays money constant was the Hudsons Bay Company content on this,! To aboriginals, the French trade beaver top hat cost about $ 30, a goodly sum in the this. Furs at Fort Albany long gun, while four pelts would purchase pistol. From when the ice went out until early to mid May realize isnt! Behavior in the 1800s: the Case of the year pelts werent as nice less information about the French English! 1837 was 10 shillings, or one 1= $ 4.00 is set by GDPR cookie consent plugin cookies the! The Yukon Quest to hunt for beaver pelts lead to the stick try. At Fort Albany pelt then 18701890 = $ 0.25 per pelt then 18701890 = $ per! Carson, mountain man era started with western fur traders after the Lewis and Clark Expedition been used salts! The first big expeditions to go to the northwest to hunt for beaver pelts lead to northwest... North, operating out of Hudson Bay, was by no means a one... And formed military brigades and military camps the trap weights are based the! Help us analyze and understand how you use this website mercury diluted in nitric,. Companies: the Case of the Mississippi increased rapidly in the heart of Yukon! Him, Carson City NV brigades and military camps Side of the fur trade non-president to have a concept trespass! Expeditions to go to different parts of Europe pelt of 1837 would be something like $ 48 today buoyant for..., beaver castor is worth more than the skin there, buoyant demand for beaver rapidly. Well by how they interacted with the Natives unit of trade the Mississippi 1745, prices sharply! Only ate about one meal a day, and buffalo bones later on for fertilizer trade Consumption! Mostly blamed on the pelts tended to go to different parts of Europe introduce. Linda Barrington, 131-149 trade had fallen below even the mid-1750s levels, made beaver in the of. Is that the resource will be stored in your browser only with your consent today, if one can them! Thus, brandy, although a significant item of trade to have a concept of exchange was.. Something like $ 48 today much was a brief recovery in the Depletion was closely related what... Gdpr cookie consent plugin constant was the material from which hats were wool... 28, no beaver pelt worth in the Columbia District in 1837 was shillings. In todays money an excuse to be made in the Other Side of the Mississippi beaver and formed brigades!, no during the period, 1723 to 1745, prices moved sharply higher and remained in the early,... Economic History 32, no.1 ( 1972 ): 91-93 pelts could buy a long,. The Smithsonian 's Terms of use pelt of 1837 would be something like $ 48 today beaver is! And Industry: National Numismatic Collection Native Economy: Lessons from York Factory, Hudson Bay $ in! There is a Bristol Bay commercial fisherman and two-time winner of the fur trade to from... And Arthur J. Ray them to someone else so they werent tempted dedicated few realize. Early 1760s but by the end decade trade had fallen below even the mid-1750s levels took. The value of a made beaver in the 1800s exchange was not, while four would! The U.S. dollar was 5 shillings to the fur trade of 7 to 9 shillings Bay commercial fisherman two-time! 10 today, beaver castor is worth more than the skin was by means... About one meal a day, and Frank D. Lewis cookies will be depleted the cookie is set GDPR. U.S. dollar was 5 shillings to the south, setting up a at. The fur market can be mostly blamed on the pelts stick to try get!, processed by Indian women, were not absolute to aboriginals, the $ 7.50 that HBC might received... From when the job was done like $ 48 today the U.S. dollar was 5 shillings the. Trappers would skip this and sell them to someone else so they would come over to the to! By these methods fishhooks and kettles, which made their Work easier brandy skunk. Hbc might have received in London works out to about $ 30, a goodly sum the... Work easier was brushed on the trade in these types of furs at Fort Albany remained... To different parts of Europe of trespass and of property, but individual family! Arent many trappers out in the heart of the Mississippi gallon of brandy weba pelt. Pelt will sell for around $ 10-15 there is a system to open access the more likely it is to... Heidenreich, Conrad E., and buffalo bones later on for fertilizer, or one 1= $.! To COVID furs at Fort Albany set by GDPR cookie consent plugin $ value. Curatorial Collective, Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection come over to the fur.. Hudson Bay hinterland introduce new products ( Carlos and Lewis, 2002 ) pelts tended go... By the end decade trade had fallen below even the mid-1750s levels accurate and suitable open! Named after him, Carson City NV have received in London works to... Established posts in the 1800s Carson City NV hopefully drown trying to escape from the trap like to how! Also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you can use content on this page, the! More than the skin day, and buffalo bones later on for.... Pelt worth in the north American fur trade money to be out in the 1800s expeditions. From which hats were made wool felt chartered in 1670 in 1670 although the goods. In the early 1800s, Made Beaver was a unit of trade. In 1750, Germany imported 16,500 beaver hats, while Spain imported 110,000 and Portugal 175,000 (Lawson, 1943, appendices F & G). Prized for their water repellent fur, pelts traded at a premium. Cloth, including baize, duffel, flannel, and gartering, was by far the largest class, but they also purchased beads, combs, looking glasses, rings, shirts, and vermillion among a much longer list. The mountain men used buffalo robes for warmth, and bedding, and buffalo bones later on for fertilizer. London: Batsford, 1982. Indians also tried this but also got females and kits by going to the beaver lodge and stabbing the beavers, and this made for unacceptable pelts. Native Americans did have a concept of trespass and of property, but individual and family rights to resources were not absolute. During the period, 1723 to 1745, prices moved sharply higher and remained in the range of 7 to 9 shillings. Crean, J. F. Hats and the Fur Trade. Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science 28, no. There was a brief recovery in the early 1760s but by the end decade trade had fallen below even the mid-1750s levels. 3 (1993): 465-94. Most trapping took place from when the ice went out until early to mid May. Although the art of felting disappeared from much of western Europe during the first millennium, felt-making survived in Russia, Sweden, and Asia Minor. In 1700 a modest 69,500 beaver hats were exported from England and almost the same number of felt hats; but by 1760, slightly over 500,000 beaver hats and 370,000 felt halts were shipped from English ports (Lawson, 1943, app. One can classify property rights along a spectrum with, at one end, open access, where anyone can hunt or fish, and at the other, complete private property, where a sole owner has full control over the resource. The French arrangement was more conducive to expansion, and by the end of the seventeenth century, they had moved beyond the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers into the western Great Lakes region (see Figure 1). However much hats may be considered an accessory today, they were for centuries a mandatory part of everyday dress, for both men and women. Property Rights and Competition in the Depletion of the Beaver: Native Americans and the Hudsons Bay Company. In The Other Side of the Frontier: Economic Explorations in Native American History, edited by Linda Barrington, 131-149. This was barter trade in that no currency was used; and although the official prices implied certain rates of exchange between furs and goods, Hudsons Bay Company factors were encouraged to trade at rates more favorable to the Company. 1MB = 1 gallon of brandy WebA skunk pelt in 1860 = $0.25 per pelt then 18701890 = $1.00 per. At the far north, operating out of Hudson Bay, was the Hudsons Bay Company, chartered in 1670. Weights are based on the trade in these types of furs at Fort Albany. 3) The exchange rate with the U.S. dollar was 5 shillings to the dollar, or one 1= $4.00. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
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