Some American Characteristics of the American Fur Company

Mr. Lavender has written widely in the field of western history. His most recent books are The Fist in the Wilderness (1964) and The American Heritage History of die Great West (1965). Some American Characteristics of the AMERICAN FUR COMPANY DAVID LAVENDER WHEN JOHN JACOB ASTOR launched Hudson's Bay Company for control of the the American Fur Company in 1808 he sup rich Athabasca country. He quite probably posed that he could achieve dominance over heard from the lips of one or another of the the Indian trade of the northern United Montreal agents — Alexander Henry, for States by emulating, in his own single per instance — something of the importance son, the corporate practices of the North which the Nor'Westers attached to finding West Company of Canada. He was wrong. Pacific approaches to the area, in order that Today, helped by the lens of historical per sea shipping might reduce the cost of sup spective, we can see, as Astor could not, that plying their western posts. He saw the com conditions south of the international border petition between the Canadian behemoths — those of geography, political climate, intensify after 1804, when the union of the economic attitudes, settlement, and so on —• XY and North West companies enabled the were very different from conditions to the "pedlars" from the St. Lawrence to resume north. These purely American determinants, their push across the continental divide with which often arose as irritations to Astor and still greater vigor. Although in 1807 Astor his field manager Ramsay Crooks, soon may not have known the exact result of these forced the company to abandon the original adventures into what is now British Colum Canadian patterns and develop character bia, he almost certainly was aware of the istics of its own. Not all were admirable, but trend.^ they were nevertheless representative of the Astor was aware too that during these American frontier milieu in which the firm same years, 1805-06, Lewis and Clark had operated. completed their transcontinental explora The reasons for Astor's initial leanings to tions and had made their preliminary reports ward Montreal are obvious. He had been to President Thomas Jefferson. Although the visiting the city almost annually on fur- explorers found the portage from the upper buying trips since at least 1788.^ There he Missouri to navigable waters on the Golum- bad learned to think of the Indian trade as a continent-wide enterprise. He knew of ' Kenneth Wiggins Porter, John Jacob Astor: the North West Company's struggle with the Business Man, 1:66, 412 (Cambridge, Massachu setts, 1931). 178 MINNESOTA History bia far more onerous than they had antici more of these ships could easily alter course pated, Lewis insisted that easily handled enough to land trade goods at tbe Columbia merchandise — bales of fur, for example — depot, pick up the beaver pelts assembled could be readily transported across the there, and then trade for sea otter skins along divide on horseback. Moreover, he wrote the northwest coast before continuing to Jefferson from St. Louis on September 23, Canton. 1806, that the valley of the upper Missouri Early in 1808 he passed on to President "is richer in Beaver and otter than any coun Jefferson and to Mayor De Witt Clinton of try on earth."* New York City his thoughts about forming By channels now unknown, echoes of that a company strong enough to effect these de statement reached Astor and quickened the signs. He added that he also hoped to force ideas already nibbling at the edges of his a withdrawal of the British traders operating planning. Could he not imitate the North in United States territory south and west of West Company's thrust by sending a strong the upper Great Lakes, around the head party along the route Lewis and Clark had waters of the Mississippi and westward to found, develop posts throughout the moun ward the Missouri. Jefferson responded with tains, and establish at the mouth of the his unofficial blessings and the legislature Columbia a sea-supplied depot like the one of New York State granted, without debate, the Nor'Westers contemplated? a formal charter to the American Fur Com He possessed resources equal to the plan pany— the patriotic name of which was — ample funds, competent agents in Lon hardly an accident.^ But in spite of Astor's don who could purchase desirable trade high-sounding declarations, the company's goods, and contacts with the leading fur first gestures were cautious indeed. markets of the world, including Canton, China. Since about 1800 his own ships had ONE EARLY deterrent in Astor's way was been carrying ginseng, silver bullion, and the Embargo Act of December 27, 1807, choice furs to the Far East, returning with and the uncertainties it created about im tea, silk, nankeens, and chinaware.* One or porting trade goods from England. The obstacle did not trouble him for long, how ° Porter, Astor, 1:170. The Hudson's Bay Com ever. Indians within the United States had pany had a tremendous advantage in being able to be supplied, and since the necessary mer to bring supply ships into the interior by way of Hudson Bay. 'The importance of geography in the chandise was available only in the British struggle between the companies is noted in several Isles, import exemptions were being granted books. See, for example, Ilarold A. Innis, The Fur Trade in Canada: An Introduction to Canadian within a matter of months to American citi Economic History, 149-165, 263-279 (Toronto, zens, although Britons remained inter 1956); E. E. Rich, The History of the Hudson's dicted.*^ Astor could be confident, therefore, Bay Company 1670-1870, 2:66-287 (London, 1959); Gordon Charles Davidson, The North West of qualffying for similar privileges whenever Company (Berkeley, California, 1918). he chose. " Reuben Gold Thwaites, ed.. Original Journals Far more worrisome to him than political of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 1804^1806, 7:334-337 (New York, 1905). barriers were his fears of murderous compe •"For Astor's early ventures as an entrepreneur tition beyond the Rockies from the North in the fur and China trades, see Porter, Astor, West Company, whose ruthlessness he had 1:48-163. ''Porter, Astor, 1:164-168, 413-420. recently seen in operation against the XY ° In August, 1808, Ramsay Crooks obtained such group. And though Jefferson had com an exemption for his and Robert McClellan's trade mended Astor's plans in a general way, con on the Missouri. Thomas Maitland Marshall, ed.. The Life and Papers of Frederick Bates, 2:16 (St. crete help from the government was not Louis, 1926). Other examples may be found among likely to be forthcoming in the Oregon coun the Frederick Bates Papers in the Missouri Histori try, where national sovereignty had not yet cal Society, St. Louis; for instance, George Hoffman to Bates, October 21, 1808. been established. How, then, were the Winter 1966 179 dangers attendant upon all-out economic credit. Instead of improving theff situations, warfare to be averted?'' most of them dug deeper into debt, and soon Two possibilities suggested themselves. they were not able to pay their Montreal Astor might either pay the North West Com suppliers. Late in 1806 those merchants who pany to yield him a clear field or, that failing, were also members of the North West Com persuade it to join him, rather than fight him, pany tried to restore order by bringing the in developing his western adventure. As disorganized individuals into a union known leverage for gaining the attention of the as the Michilimackinac Company.^" Montreal merchants he used the troubles in Within little more than a year Jefferson's which they had become involved on the nonimportation decrees had heaped fresh American side of the Great Lakes. trouble onto the winterers of the new com The union of the North West and XY com pany. A brigade of supply boats was fired on panies in 1804 had left scores of clerks un by United States customs officials at Niagara, employed. Many of them had drifted south and eight of the craft were impounded. of the border to join the fierce competition Meanwhile growing unrest among the In aheady boiling among the many tiaders dians of Tecumseh's confederation kept working out of Detroit and Michilimackinac. many natives from their hunting grounds. The commerce could not absorb them. The Napoleonic Wars were reducing the price of ' Astor, appealing on July 27, 1813, to President James Madison for government aid in maintaining deer, muskrat, and raccoon pelts, and at the Astoria during wartime, insisted that he had pre same time were ballooning the cost of ship sented his ideas for the Columbia adventure in per ping in necessary trade items from abroad. son at a meeting attended by Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin, General Meanwhile the United States government Henry Dearborn, and Madison, who had been sec was deliberately harassing foreign traders retary of state at the time of the alleged conference. — or so they believed — with hcensing and At this meeting, Astor continued, government help "was promised in the most Desided & explicit man customs regulations that brazenly abrogated ner." Dorothy Bridgwater, ed., "John Jacob Astor the freedom of movement supposedly guar Relative to His Settlement on the Columbia River," anteed them by Jay's Treaty. ^ The bitterest in Yale University Library Gazette, 24:61-64 (Octo ber, 1949). This was an extraordinary statement for pill came on August 26, 1805, when General Astor to have made to Madison, who reputedly James Wilkinson, governor of upper Louisi attended the meeting, if no conference had in fact ana, issued an edict barring foreigners from occurred.

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