The Coureurs de Bois Clothing
Back in the days the Coureurs de Bois wore fabric instead of skins
do to their work of traveling by canoes because it dried better
than skin. A Coureurs de Bois’s outfit would include items like a
cotton or linen shirt and also knee-length canvas pants. Then on
his head he would be wearing something like a scarf or a wool
toque to keep the sweat from pouring on his face. He would also
wear a very bright coloured wool belt which he could hang a bag
or even a cup containing his pipe, tinderbox and tobacco.
do to their work of traveling by canoes because it dried better
than skin. A Coureurs de Bois’s outfit would include items like a
cotton or linen shirt and also knee-length canvas pants. Then on
his head he would be wearing something like a scarf or a wool
toque to keep the sweat from pouring on his face. He would also
wear a very bright coloured wool belt which he could hang a bag
or even a cup containing his pipe, tinderbox and tobacco.
A picture of a very bright coloured belt that can attach a bag for the Coureurs de Bois to hold their pipe, tinderbox and tobacco.
And a Wool toque to keep the sweat from pouring on the Coureurs de Bois's face.
On days that were colder the Coureur de Bois men would don a woolen capote
and/or occasionally wear a coat made out of animals like caribou hide and moose.
And store some black powder in a tightly sealed horn.(and also carried just a
few knives)
A horn that the Coureurs de Bois stored black powder in. 2 examples of knives that the Coureurs de Bois could have carried around. A woolen Capote that the Coueurs de Bois wore when it was cold.
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In the summer coureurs de bois and voyageurs wore breechcloth (to replace pants). To replace socks they wore leggings to protect their legs from bugs.
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A picture of breechcloth.
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The Coureurs de Bois Trade
The Coureurs de Bois would trade americanfur with others.
Some furs that they traded were beaver, bear/raccoon/deer
skins, fox pelts, muskrat and mink. They also traded other
items like knives, tomahawks, mirrors, vermillion, beads, linen,
wool, cloth, gunpowder, guns and lead.
Some furs that they traded were beaver, bear/raccoon/deer
skins, fox pelts, muskrat and mink. They also traded other
items like knives, tomahawks, mirrors, vermillion, beads, linen,
wool, cloth, gunpowder, guns and lead.
A variety of different furs. A picture of Gunpowder and a picture of a Tomahawk.
The Couerus de Bois Food
A picture of Birch Bark that has yet to be peeled off a tree.
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The Couerus de Bois ate a variety of different foods back then. The Coureurs de Bois ate deer meat, squirrels, bear, dried corn, moose and even birch bark. Eating these foods kept the Coureurs de Bois strong and energized during work hours.
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A picture of dried corn like the Couerus de Bois ate. And a example of a bear that the Coureurs de Bois may have hunted for food.
The Coureurs de Bois Religion
A picture of the Roman Catholic cross.
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The Coureurs de Bois's religion was Roman Catholic since everyone there was also Roman Catholic.
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The Roman Catholic Holy Bible.
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The Couerus de Bois Education
The Coureurs de Bois were very well educated. The Coureurs de Bois were taught by the Jesuits and the Nuns. The Jesuits taught the Coureurs de Bois about school work and the Roman Catholic Church.
Above is two different pictures of the Jesuits symbol.
The Coureurs de Bois History
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The French/Canadian term, coureurs de bois means runner of the woods. The Coureurs de Bois were brave and strong due to the places traveled + weather and any other complications in their path to the trader made them who they are.
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The coureurs de bois were relatively young men hired by explorers like Samuel de Champlain in the 17th century for transportation of furs during the fur trade in New France. The Coureurs de Bois loved adventures, they even learned quickly that the fur trade can give them a lot of money and they also could make more money Independently.
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Before the Coureurs de Bois had learned the customs and also language of the Ojibwa they had to travel very far to deliver furs to the Montreal authorities and had to take whatever the authorities offered in the trade. But when the Coureurs de Bois came to someone that upset the French authorities. What they didn’t want to happen would be unregulated traders who would possibly offer native trappers a great price without all of the very long travel distance.
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The bravery in the Coureurs de Bois.
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A picture of Samuel du Champlain.
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A picture of the official Ojibwa badge.
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Only by 1680’s the New France governors had developed a scheme that would work in everyone’s favor. They came across a permit system that legalized the coureurs de bois and also gave them a new name which is voyageurs. The voyageur could hold a permit himself or could be allied to a Montreal merchant that had one. |
Around the same time period, in an attempt to dominate the fur trade New France expanded north, west and south. They forts and found trading posts and negotiated trading treaties with a variety of different native tribes. Before the system became very detailed the voyageurs found out that they were more amounts of employees than traders themselves. The voyageurs then started transporting trade canoes between one trading partner and the other. |
A picture of traveling Voyageurs.
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A compass that supports the Coureurs de Bois's expansion towards the North, West and South.
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1610 Etienne Brule
Etienne Brule was a French explorer in North America. He was courageous, smart and trustworthy due to his actions over the past years he was alive. He first arrived around the time of 1608 in the New World with Samuel de Champlain, then in 1610 Samuel sent him into the wilderness to learn about Native Americans and also the land. He lived with the Huron and came with a group of them to Georgian Bay of Lake Huron in 1612.
A picture of Etienne Brule and Samuel du Champlain.
Then in 1612 Etienne guided Champlain to that lake, and away they started their return journey, so far as is known by people the first Europeans to see Lake Ontario. Then Brule was sent to the headwaters of the Susquehanna River and then he would have to follow it to Chesapeake Bay. But when Brule was on his way back he was captured by the Iroquois and then tortured, but he then escaped at around 1618. He then after lived with the Huron once again, making many different trips which no record remains of. He may have visited Lake Superior and also he could have seen all the Great Lakes except Lake Michigan, if he did he would be the first European to do so. In 1629 Brule piloted the English vessels that captured Quebec and his old leader, Champlain. He retired (due to age) to live a very corrupted life among the Huron. He was then killed in a battle.
A picture of the Iroquois and a picture of the Huron
The Fur Trade
A picture of multiple furs.
The Hudson Bay Company had tried to match the North West and other Montreal fur trade companies but the Montreal fur traders had a lot of customers. The Fur Trade can only go on with the Coureurs de Bois. The Coureurs de Bois transport furs to the traders while traveling long distances through lakes and even the wilderness. But to be able to become a Coureurs de Bois you have to be licensed which not a lot of licenses were accepted.
