Exchanging Death: The Fur Trade and Genocide

Examining the fur trade in New France.

In 1492, when Christopher Columbus arrived in Guanahani (present-day San Salvador Island) he encountered the Taino people, and trade between the Old and New World began.

The goal of his voyage was initially to establish a trade route to the Indies. Although he failed in this regard, the transatlantic exchange that he set in motion resulted in the introduction of a plethora of new substances into Europe such as tobacco, tomatoes, potatoes, corn, and other products…