   | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 11/01/2009 Gr 5–10— Peterson relates the little-known history of the early American fur trade. He describes how European demand for fur hats and accessories sent French and British traders, traveling in Native American birchbark canoes, to explore and navigate the waterways of the Great Lakes region and the interior of the North American continent. Both countries formed alliances with competing Indian tribes and confederations, which resulted in poisoned relations between settlers and tribes, contributed to the European conflicts over land claims, and influenced the colonial battles in the wars between France and England. The author also discusses the interactions between the fur traders and the Native Americans and the hardworking and hard-playing lives of the voyageurs and fur traders. Numerous sidebars about people, places, and technical aspects of the trade, as well as black-and-white reproductions of period illustrations or photos of locations, appear on each page. Unfortunately, they are small and dark, and therefore add little to the text. However, that weakness is somewhat mitigated by the extensive bibliography. Although this book is occasionally dry, it does offer readers and researchers insights into a part of early American history that is all too often overlooked.—Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO - Copyright 2009 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 12/15/2009 European fur trading in North America began early in the sixteenth century and ended when a nineteenth-century change in fashion made beaver hats passé. At its height, the fur trade was big business as well as a means of exploring North America and, eventually, opening the path to European settlement. The first half of Peterson’s well-researched account tightly packs a great deal of exploration (Columbus, Cabot, Cartier, Champlain, Joliet, Marquette, LaSalle, Duluth, Frontenac, Washington, Pontiac, Mackenzie) into six chapters. The second half employs firsthand accounts to discuss the voyageurs, settlers, and Native Americans in a considerably more involving manner. Throughout, black-and-white photos of sites and reproductions of period artwork, maps, and documents illustrate the text and sidebars. The extensive back matter includes a detailed time line, notes for the many quotes, a source bibliography, a suggested reading list, and descriptions of a dozen places to visit. This will fill a gap in many history collections. - Copyright 2009 Booklist. Loading...
 |