Mountain Men Flashcards
Who were the mountain men?
The mountain men were explorers and trappers.
Why did the mountain men move west ?
Mountain men moved west as fur was becoming increasingly popular as the fashioned changed hence they extended their search from the east too the plains (in the Rocky Mountains) where they believed they could attain more fur. They go the fur fro, , beavers , bears and elks.
What was life like for a mountain man?
Life as a mountain man could be difficult they often lived in terrible conditions and were plagued by the harsh climatic conditions of the plains. Often mountain men were riddled with lice and often had to battle the elements , grizzly bears and Indians whom also inhabited the plains in the time period.
Mountain men came from a variety of backgrounds but often adopted the survival skills of the native Americans (Indians ) in order to survive on the plains.
What were relations with the Indians like for the mountain men?
The mountain men were accepted by the Indians and sometimes lived with them for periods of time or married Indian women. They were not hated in the same way that the settlers were hated as they did not try to claim the land which coincided with the Indian belief land could not be owned. They simply wished to kill animals in order to attain fur to be sold for profit which was not frowned upon by the Indians whom killed animals themselves like the buffalo for materials.
This did not last as after a while the Indians no longer welcomed the mountain men as it was their belief that the mountain men had brought diseases such as small pox onto the plains and this disease was very dangerous to Indians whom had never been exposed to it and therefore had minimal resistance.
Why did the window of the mountain men close ?
the mountain men moved on when the fashions of the world changed and they could no longer sustain profit in the fur industry. Plus the sources of fur were running out as the Rocky Mountains had been combed of their fur bearing animals.
Why were the mountain men important ?
The mountain men were important as they were the first group to push west hence they were able to explore the land and develop routes and trails across the plains.
What did the mountain men go on to do ?
The mountain men went onto become guides whom lead bands of settlers to the west ( places like California) as they had good knowledge of the geography of the land from their time as trappers and had learned from experience how to survive the rough conditions of the journey.
