Trade and currencies

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Trade and Currencies

One of the reasons that President Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to the West was to secure the Indian trade for the United States. At the time, France, England, and Spain dominated the fur trade, which was valuable both economically and politically. Trading was the primary point of contact between Indian people and Europeans, and trading partners were political allies in the contest to control North America.

Both the trading system and the objects exchanged had profound impacts on Native American life. Select a section from one of the images at left, or click below.

Indigenous Trade

The Euro-American Fur Trade

Currencies: The Objects of Trade

Left to right: abalone and dentalium shell earrings; buffalo hide; blue and white beads
with red wool trade cloth insert. Click to go to the associated section.