Hands-on History #7: Beaver Pelts and the Fur Trade

00:02:51
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56095FMHGF8

概要

TLDREmma Marston, a curator at the Des Plaines History Center, provides insights into a beaver pelt from their education collection. Beaver fur was pivotal in the fur trade since the 13th century due to its dual-layered structure: waterproof outer hairs and soft underfur, suitable for making warm, durable felt. By the 18th and 19th centuries, beaver fur hats became fashionable in Europe, leading to the over-hunting of beavers in Europe and the establishment of trading posts by French and British colonizers in North America, particularly around the Midwest and Great Lakes. This trade changed local economies and influenced the development of cities, such as Chicago, initially established to protect the fur trade.

収穫

  • 🐾 Beaver pelts are vital historical artifacts.
  • 🎩 Beaver fur was fundamental in creating fashionable hats.
  • 🔍 Beaver fur's unique properties make exceptional felt.
  • 🏞️ The fur trade significantly influenced local economies.
  • 🌍 European demand led to trading relationships with Native Americans.

タイムライン

  • 00:00:00 - 00:02:51

    Emma Marston, a curator at the Des Plaines History Center, presents a beaver pelt from their education collection, emphasizing its historical significance in the fur trade. Originating from the 13th century, beaver fur was discovered to be an excellent material for making felt, distinguished by its unique dual-layer composition: tough waterproof outer hairs and soft fluffy underfur. The combination of these features produces a warm, sturdy, and waterproof felt suitable for various items, particularly hats, which gained popularity in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries. As European beaver populations dwindled due to overhunting, traders from North American colonies, notably the French and British, began exploiting local beaver populations, significantly influencing the region's development, including the establishment of Fort Dearborn, which eventually evolved into Chicago. The importance of beaver fur thus highlights its role in shaping local history.

マインドマップ

ビデオQ&A

  • What is the main significance of the beaver pelt?

    It played a crucial role in the fur trade, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries.

  • What makes beaver fur suitable for felt production?

    Beaver fur has two layers: waterproof outer hairs and soft underfur, making it warm and sturdy.

  • How did the fur trade affect the development of areas like Illinois?

    It attracted traders and settlers, significantly changing the local economy and landscape.

  • What historical impacts did beaver fur hats have in Europe?

    They became highly fashionable in Europe, leading to over-hunting of the European beaver.

  • How did the French and British influence the fur trade in North America?

    They established trading relationships with Native Americans to hunt and trap beavers for fur.

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  • 00:00:00
    [Music]
  • 00:00:11
    hi my name is emma marston and i'm one
  • 00:00:13
    of the curators here at the des plaines
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    history center
  • 00:00:16
    i wanted to show you uh one of my
  • 00:00:19
    favorite items from our education
  • 00:00:21
    collection which is our beaver pelt
  • 00:00:23
    we actually have a number of different
  • 00:00:26
    uh pelts in our collection various
  • 00:00:28
    animals from around the river area but
  • 00:00:31
    the beaver is particularly important
  • 00:00:33
    because of its historical impact on the
  • 00:00:35
    fur trade
  • 00:00:37
    about the 13th century people realize
  • 00:00:39
    that you can turn
  • 00:00:41
    not just traditional sheep's wool into
  • 00:00:43
    felt but also
  • 00:00:45
    furs like our beaver here as it turns
  • 00:00:48
    out beaver fur makes absolutely
  • 00:00:49
    fantastic felt
  • 00:00:51
    the secret is that the beaver fur has
  • 00:00:54
    two different layers there are these
  • 00:00:56
    tough waterproof outer hairs
  • 00:00:58
    but underneath that if you pull it aside
  • 00:01:00
    a bit you can see this soft a little bit
  • 00:01:02
    lighter colored uh fluffy under fur
  • 00:01:05
    and that underfur is what makes the
  • 00:01:07
    beaver fur so nice and uh warm when the
  • 00:01:10
    beaver is water and also sticks together
  • 00:01:13
    very nicely and kind of clings together
  • 00:01:14
    with these little microscopic barbs
  • 00:01:17
    and what you get in the end is a felt
  • 00:01:20
    that is both soft yet waterproof and
  • 00:01:23
    sturdy can be shaped very easily into a
  • 00:01:25
    number of different styles
  • 00:01:27
    and this is really fantastic for
  • 00:01:29
    hats and things like that
  • 00:01:31
    and by the 18th and 19th centuries
  • 00:01:33
    beaver fur hats become all the raids
  • 00:01:36
    very fashionable
  • 00:01:37
    people in europe get to the point where
  • 00:01:39
    the european beaver is starting to
  • 00:01:41
    become over hunted
  • 00:01:42
    and people in france and britain and the
  • 00:01:45
    netherlands quickly realize that they
  • 00:01:47
    have these north american colonies that
  • 00:01:50
    have plenty of beavers and other
  • 00:01:52
    creatures that can be
  • 00:01:54
    hunted and used for their furs and so
  • 00:01:56
    you see uh in north america first the
  • 00:01:59
    the french later the british and other
  • 00:02:01
    countries
  • 00:02:02
    start to bring in these traders who
  • 00:02:04
    settle around the midwest area the great
  • 00:02:06
    lakes area
  • 00:02:07
    and start to
  • 00:02:09
    hunt and trap and trade furs with native
  • 00:02:11
    people in the area they become a pretty
  • 00:02:14
    major part of what will eventually
  • 00:02:16
    become illinois and the rest of the
  • 00:02:17
    united states and it really changes the
  • 00:02:19
    landscape of the area
  • 00:02:23
    for example fort dearborn is originally
  • 00:02:25
    started as a way to protect the fur
  • 00:02:28
    trade and of course it will eventually
  • 00:02:30
    come to become the great city of chicago
  • 00:02:34
    so yeah this humble beaver fur is a very
  • 00:02:36
    important part of our local history
  • 00:02:41
    [Music]
タグ
  • beaver pelt
  • fur trade
  • history
  • felt production
  • local history
  • education collection
  • Chicago
  • Midwest
  • European fashion
  • native trade