How Did The Rise Of Disease Affect The Fur Trade

The fur trade had one of the highest impacts on First Nations, it provided them with European goods that they couldn’t usually get, and in turn, helped improve their social status. It opened the continent to exploration and established social and economic relationships between the Europeans and Indigenous people. I believe that the rise of disease was the most significant factor in the fur trade and had the most impact on the British Columbia population and First Nations people.

During the initial stages of the fur trade, the first explorers arrived on ships to what is now British Columbia. They came from Spain, Russia, and England, Russia being the earliest sign of initial contact with the west coast of North America. However, none of the
It is estimated that around 200,000 to 400,000 First Nations were living in British Columbia in the late 18th century, and by the 1900s, the number had dropped to 25,000, meaning in just over a century, the population of the Indigenous had been cut by 90 to 95 percent. The first epidemic happened in the late 1770s, a case of smallpox broke out and more than 60 percent of the Stó:lo people died. Other smaller outbreaks started during the 19th century, and the last major smallpox outbreak was the worst one, killing around 70 percent of First Nations people. Entire villages were wrecked, and the loss of so much of the population had a horrible impact on the Indigenous communities. Entire families were wiped out, and that disrupted traditional kinships and social cohesion. As well as elders who held lots of valuable knowledge and wisdom in their culture, were very vulnerable to disease, resulting in the loss of lots of traditional knowledge and cultural practices. It affected the fur trade as there were lots of labour shortages and skilled hunters and traders were gone as well, this made it difficult for First Nations communities to participate in the fur trade. This resulted in Indigenous peoples having less economic
When combined, these four factors have altered Indigenous economies, societies, and cultures. First Nations peoples hunting and trapping techniques were changed after the invention of iron tools and weapons, having a huge impact on economic wealth but also increased reliance on European trade products. The epidemics decreased the Native American populations by 80-85 percent and have had an impact on their societies as it has increased their vulnerability in the fur trading economy and upset their custom patterns of life. To add on, First Nations women were many things, such as labourers, traders, and negotiators, and were crucial to Indigenous people’s survival in the fur trade by empowering them with their leadership. Lastly, trading posts had a massive impact on settlement patterns, and because of this, trading activity was high for First Nations communities. Collectively, all these elements affected First Nations people’s fur trade experiences, and led to economic possibilities and social disorder, with implications for Indigenous communities and their relationships with other