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Hudson's
Bay Company Products:
Point Blankets
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Hudson's
Bay Company trade was not only a one way trade in furs to Europe
- it also involved huge amounts of European goods going to North
America. These goods included many things: gunpowder, bullets,
kettles and pots, beads, weapons, tobacco, fishing hooks, needles,
scissors, and much more. These were items that local people could
not make themselves.
One of the most
famous items that HBC made (and still makes!) was the point
blanket. Point blankets were first introduced in 1780. They are
made out of wool and are very good at fighting the bitter cold.
The First Nations people liked them because they were good camouflage
in winter. Sometimes the blankets were turned into coats. Point
blankets and point blanket coats are still in use today.
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The
name point blanket comes from the fact that each blanket was
given a grade, or point, depending on its size and weight. One
point measured 5 ½ inches (about 14 cm). A one point blanket
measurements were 2 feet, 8 inches by 8 feet (about 81 cm by
2 m, 44 cm) and weighed 3lbs 1 oz (about 1.4 kg, or 1400 g).
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The point
system was from 1 to 6 and increased in value by steps of half
of a point. One point was equal to one "made" beaver
pelt. One made beaver pelt meant one good quality pelt from
an average size beaver. It became the standard of measurement
in the fur trade.
During
its history, HBC has also been involved in other kinds of
goods. It sold oil and gas as well as real estate. Today, the
HBC is mainly a chain of retail stores, selling everything from
perfume to clothes to furniture.
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