Who gained the most from the fur trade?
From a dollar and cents standpoint, the merchants who sponsored the fur trading ventures to the Northwest coast were the real winners, if enough furs were obtained. Early on in the trade, an investment of $10,000 to $50,000 might gross $150,000 to $250,000. But the natives were shrewd traders. In most cases they obtained material goods that they could not have obtained otherwise. So viewed in this light, the natives made a “good deal” also. • Who was John McLoughlin? John McLoughlin was born in Quebec in 1784 and trained as a physician near Montreal. He joined the Northwest Company as a physician at its post at Fort William. When the Northwest Company merged with the Hudson’s Bay Company, McLoughlin was named head of the Columbia Department. His job was to keep peace with the Indians, squeeze Americans out of the market, and firmly establish the British claim to all of Oregon. As a businessman he was successful. However, he was generous to the settlers, selling them supplies and lendin
