Beaver Wars

THE BEAVER WARS 1640 - 1701.

Starting in 1640, there was an intermittent war fought over one of the most in demand, luxurious items in the world: beaver pelts. The war was fought between the Iroquois Confederacy of the St. Lawrence River area and the Algonquian-speaking tribes of the Ohio Country and the Great Lakes, who were backed by the French. These wars took place in the Great Lakes region.

The Iroquois Confederacy was made up of five tribes that all spoke the Iroquois language: the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca. These tribes were involved in the fur trade for over 200 years prior to the war. The Iroquois traded beaver pelts to British settlers and merchants. In return, the Iroquois received items that they depended on, such as tools and firearms.

Starting in 1640, there was an intermittent war fought over one of the most in demand, luxurious items in the world: beaver pelts. The war was fought between the Iroquois Confederacy of the St. Lawrence River area and the Algonquian-speaking tribes of the Ohio Country and the Great Lakes, who were backed by the French. These wars took place in the Great Lakes region.

The Iroquois Confederacy was made up of five tribes that all spoke the Iroquois language: the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca. These tribes were involved in the fur trade for over 200 years prior to the war. The Iroquois traded beaver pelts to British settlers and merchants. In return, the Iroquois received items that they depended on, such as tools and firearms.

In 1701, the Treaty of Grande Paix was signed by the British, the French, the Iroquois Confederacy and the tribes of the Great Lakes. The treaty did not push the French out of the territory, but it did solidify an alliance between the Iroquois Confederacy and the British that would later help both in the French and Indian War.

The wars and subsequent commercial trapping of beavers was devastating to the local beaver population. Trapping continued to spread across North America, extirpating or severely reducing populations across the continent. The natural ecosystems that came to rely on the beavers for dams, water and other vital needs were also devastated leading to ecological destruction, environmental change, and draught in certain areas. The beaver populations in North America would take centuries to recover in some areas, while others would never recover.