The Fur Trade Anne Hyde Summary

Beginning with the earliest source, Empires, Nations, and Families. A New History of the North American West, 1800-1860, written by Anne Hyde, the fur trade is portrayed as the main concept in the development of the West. Hyde argues that family and friendly relationships with the Natives, from 1800-1860, were essential in the building of different empires in the West. Those that created allies with Indian nations proved to be more successful than those who did not try to relate and bond with Natives, which would eventually lead to them being overtaken. Hyde follows the lives of numerous families, including the Sublettes, Wilsons, and Chouteaus during a time in which they begin building their empires in the West. The fur trade was essential …show more content…
This situation exemplifies Hyde’s thesis by illustrating the need for an amicable relationship with the Indians in order to create a successful domain. Pushing forward to the 1820s the fur trade was stabilized and developed two major trading systems: the upper Missouri System, which focused mostly on bison hides and Indian labor, and the Rocky Mountain System, which made use of the St. Louis and Missouri Rivers and focused on white trappers and beaver pellets (Hyde, 57). Although the fur trade had both risks and opportunities the attractiveness of the line of work did not seem to falter since the reward of wealth was much higher than the risk of nothing. With this concept in mind, it is easy to relate it to the migration and settlement West and the personal struggle to decide if a new life in a new place would be worth it in the end. Examining the contexts of families that linked the system of trade with other families allows for the interpretation of the global impact as well as the more intimate details within the …show more content…
In the mid nineteenth century war, imperial battles, and removal and resettlement created major problems for the Indians. Some disappeared, others reconstructed themselves into new tribes, and a few thrived due to the opportunities that the Western expansion provided. Analyzing the Comanches it could be concluded that they were thriving not only for their warrior skills, but for their comprehension of when to retreat and have a peaceful trade. Hyde argues that the federal government, long-term residents, and new immigrants could not find hope or optimism after the condition of Texas, Oregon, and New Mexico and after a decade of Indian wars and thus relationships were bloodied and ruined. The Mountain Meadows Massacre, in 1857, was collateral damage when the government tried to impose its will on the Mormons (Hyde, 485). Fear and anger spurred the Nauvoo Legion to attacked a wagon train killing over 120 men, women, and children (Hyde, 461). Shortly After, in 1862, the Minnesota Uprising was caused by the bitterness the Sioux felt towards their terrible living conditions on the reservations, as they had been left to