The Competition between the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company.
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The Competition between the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company
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Transcript of The Competition between the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company.
The Competition between the Hudson’s Bay
Company and the North West Company
Early Competition
From 1720 to 1763 many Cree carried their furs from the West to the HBC forts on Hudson Bay.
From 1731 to 1743 the La Verendryes (independent traders from Quebec) built forts on the rivers farther West to encourage the Native people to trade with them instead of going to the HBC.
In 1763 the British gained control of New France. They hoped that gaining control of the land
meant they had control of the fur trade also. However French traders continued to travel to the interior for the
best furs.
1774 – Samuel Hearne built the first HBC fort in the interior. – It did not increase HBC trade.
1778 – Peter Pond (an independent trader) built a fort farther northwest than Hearne’s.
Creation of the North West Company
1783 – the independent traders from Quebec decide they would be more effective if they joined together. The Northwest Company and the XY Company were
formed. The NWC took over the XYC in 1804. The NWC traders spent the winters in
the Northwest trading with the Native people they brought their furs to Fort William the Montreal partners took them and shipped them to Europe.
NWC and HBC
By 1804 the rivalry between the NWC and the HBC was intense.
There were rival fur trading forts along the length of the Saskatchewan River.
After 1812, the rivalry led to violence. – HBC allowed a group of settlers to begin a
settlement at Red River. – NWC concerned that the settlers would
be used to interfere with their fur trade and supply routes.
