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Under Many Nations

American Indian tribes had occupied the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains for generations.

European control of these lands was claimed first by France in the seventeenth century. France and Great Britain both sought control over the rich fur trade in the area.

American Indians supplied furs in trade for goods--metal pots, European glass beads, cloth for clothing or warm blankets, etc. Indians prized guns and black powder above all for trade.

The power struggle between France and Great Britain led to the French and Indian War (1754-1763). During the war, Indians were torn in their allegiance. The Treaty of Paris--February 10, 1763--gave the victorious British control of Canada, most land east of the Mississippi River, and the vast and lucrative fur trade.

Woodliand Peoples, circa 1600 - Great Lakes Region

Article - The Beaver and the Fur Trade

225th Anniversary Exhibit