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The
North West Company:
The Fortunes of War
There
were two fur-trading networks. One route was along the Ottawa and
St. Lawrence River. The other was the Hudson Bay route. The
Hudson's Bay Company used the Hudson Bay route in the north, which
was a better route. The Nor'westers used the one in the south to
Montreal.
Traderoutes
The Nor'westers
and the Baymen
would sometimes use any means to win control of the fur trade.
They destroyed each other's boats and forts. They tried to bribe
the other company's traders and offered more money for the furs.
Some of the men even used violence and murder to get more fur.
The two sides
fought each other from the 1780s until 1821. Both companies
were spending all their money and energy competing with each other.
The war was ruining both companies, but the North West Company weakened
the most - especially after the Battle
of Seven Oaks. In 1821, the two companies merged. Hudson's
Bay Company was now able to run the fur trade with no competition.
This was the beginning of profitable
times.
Links
to more information…
…About the
North West Company:
Infoplease: The
North West Company
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What
are three reasons the North West Company fought HBC?
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