Trappers and Traders of the Far West

U.S. Landmark Books #29

by James Daugherty

Beaver Skins! We need beaver skins! The demand came from the eastern United States and from large cities in Europpe. Skins-thousands of them-were needed to make the fashionable beaver hat of the early ninetenth century. The men who journeyed was to trap beaver cared nothing for fashion. They wanted adventure and there was no shortage of that unmapped land beyond the Mississippi.

Genres: History

181 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1952

About the author

aka http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

Reviews

[Caleb Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

1 on weight. 1 on logic. 2 on style. 2 on research. 1 on affections. 6 out of 10. This book was an exciting and fun read, but I don't know why the Landmark series published. It begins with the story of a rich New Yorker who wanted to dominate the fur market. It then covers a fascinating, but seemingly disconnected story of a ship sailing to California. That gruesome tale ends, and then it switches to a party traveling on a similar route as Lewis Clark. This story is interesting, again, but they barely accomplish anything except for nearly get killed. They return, and the book ends with Astor's plan failing as many other traders go out west. The whole tale is less than two years. The mini-incidents inside the book are fascinating, but on the whole I don't know what was Daugherty's purpose in writing it.

[C C · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This covers the Astor Expedition of 1810–1812, about a decade after the Lewis & Clark government sponsored one. After a crew sailed to the mouth of the Columbia River they were to establish fur trading agreements. It was financed by a New York businessman, John Jacob Astor, as part of his dream to control the global fur trade. Part of the crew engaged in fighting native peoples and all were killed after blowing up their ship the Tonquin. Another crew set out overland.

[0Lady_Luna0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chronicling the adventures of the Astor Expedition of 1810–1812, this is the tales of John Jacob Astor's dream to control the global fur trade. It is the accounts of two groups heading for the mouth of the Columbia River to establish fur trading agreements. One the ship the Tonquin, by sea. The second, out overland.

"Here is exciting reporting with a sharp historical perspective."

I really enjoyed this! A nice quick, two-hour read. :)