Summary
With the introduction of horses to the Plains and an increasing number of traders moving into the the Canadian interior, the middleman role in the fur trade became an extremely profitable position. Cree and Dene groups entered into a wide-spread conflict over control of this middleman position in the fur trade.
Implications
The 1750s was a period of heightened tension and warfare due largely to the evolution of the fur trade on the Plains. Of note is a lack of mention of large scale epidemics among the Cree during the 1750s. There were contained outbreaks of Influenza and the common cold -which could be fatal - but no "virgin soil epidemics." It is possible that the omission of epidemics during the 1750s could result from the intense focus on inter-tribal conflict of the period or a lack of primary source material.
Resources
Date
1750-00-00
Theme(s)