American West - Mountain Men Flashcards
Who are they?
Traders in buffalo and beavers for their fur (they traded with Indians)
Trappers, explorers and hunters who roamed North America’s Rocky Mountains from 1810 - early 1840’s.
Where did they come from
New York and Paris as fur hats were all the range there
Why did they go West?
To trap beavers and hunt other animals for their fur
Impact on America
Mostly travelled but some settled on Plains as they were accepted by Indians. A few married Indian women
Made trails
Fur was no longer the fashion
More mountain men came and brought smallpox which made them not welcome anymore
Problems they faced
Men could freeze to death (they could catch buffalo and wear the fur as clothes)
Harsh climate but they had wagons and horses
Why did they want to leave where they came from?
They could have been poor
Why did they want to go West?
To explore new animals
New opportunities
Factors that helped them
Indians helped them settle into Plains and survive
Lots of beavers to catch
Factors that hindered them
Everyone wanted too much land
When were they?
Before 1830’s
