Beaver Fur Hat: A Historical Artifact of the Canadian Fur Trade Industry

This article explores the historical significance of the Beaver Fur Hat in the Canadian fur trade industry. It describes the hat's design, materials, and popularity among European and American consumers. It also analyzes the political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental impacts of the hat on Canada and its indigenous people.

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
Sociology
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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 A description of the artifact
o What does it look like?
The Beaver fur hat had taken over the fashion industry of Canada in the late 17th as well
as early 18th Century. These fur hats were not fur hats that are tie-up flaps to cover the ears. The
beaver fur hat used to look like high crowned as well as broad brimmed felted hat. The hat was
made from beaver’s fur since the designers found that the fur quality of the beaver is best suited
for the felting process due to the soft under-fur of the pelt (Innis, 2017). The structure of the hat
was highly attractive and innovative and there was no substitute of this hat for a good number of
men and women during the mentioned century.
o What material(s) is it made from?
As the name suggest, the beaver fur hat is primarily made of felted beaver fur. In order to
make the felt, the under hair were shaved from the beaver pelt and was mixed with a vibrating
hatter’s bow. The matted fabric was then pummeled as well as boiled repeatedly that in turn
resulted in a thickened as well as shrunken felt (Gillen & Cameron, 2017). Filled over a hat-from
block, the felt was pressed as well as streamed into shape. After that, the hat maker was found to
brush the outside surface to sheen. During the 1730s, along with fur, mercury began to be used
for making of the beaver top hats. In order to add variety as well as to serve consumers of
different taste and style, the mentioned hat was made in a god number of styles as a matter of
civil status (Miller, 2018). Some of the popular variety of the beaver hats is the Wellington, the
Paris beau and the Regent and the Clerical.
 The historical context in which the artifact was made and used
o When and where was the artifact made and used?

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The beaver fur hat was first made in Europe during the reign of King Charles I of
England between the years ranging from1625 to 1642. Within a very short period, the mentioned
hat got a huge popularity. By the late 17th Century, due to excessive usage of beaver fur for
manufacturing the hat, beaver has gone extinct in Europe (Miller, 2018). As a result, a shortage
of raw material, that is beaver fur, was evidenced during that time. Fortunately, at that time,
North America started supplying beaver fur which was highly beneficial for the European hat
industry. A new trade was formed due to the export of baer fur from North America.
o Who made and used the artifact?
The Beaver fur hat was initially made by the European hat makers. In the year 1670, the
Hudson’s Bay Company was founded as one of its chief products was beaver hats. The
organization was known to promote itself by presenting complementary beaver hats to crucial
personalities of London, in order to encourage them to invest in their organization. With the
initiation of the trade relation due to fur export with Europe, Beaver fur hat also started getting
popular in America. The pioneer of the mentioned Hat in America was the John Jacob Astor
organization. The beaver pelt was the first great American commodity and the trade in
them made Astor a millionaire (Berland, 2015).
o Why was the artifact made?
The hat was primarily made in order to bring about a change in the fashion industry of
Europe. The stylish pattern of the hat along with its highly comfortable texture immediately
made the hat popular amongst the elite consumers of the fashion industry. Initially, the hat was
made only for the male consumers (Miller, 2018). However, later Beaver fashion hats started to
be designed for both male as well as female consumers.

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 An analysis of the historical significance of the artifact
o Why is this artifact significant to Canadian History?
The Beaver Fur hat possesses a significant role when it comes to the fur trade of the
nation. For more than 250 years, from the early 17th century to the mid 19th century, fur trade is
considered to be a vast commercial enterprise in Canada. The fur business, that got initiated by
supplying beaver fur in order to compensate for the lack of the same at Europe, the intensely
competitive trade opened in the nation for exploration as well as settlement, established social,
economic as well as colonial relationships between European as well as indigenous people along
with playing a formative role when it comes to the creation of Canada (Gillen & Cameron,
2017).
o What are the political, economic, social, cultural, or environmental impacts of the
artifact?
In order to understand the political, economic, social, cultural, or environmental impacts
of the Beaver Fur Hat, PESTLE analysis has been conducted.
Political environment:
The Beaver fur Hat had enhanced the revenue of the government by expanding the
business of fur as well as hat export to a great extent. Not only this, the relation between Europe
and Canada also got developed due to the business.
Economic Environment
Beaver pelts were considered to be the centre of early Canadian trade economy. The
centrality of the mentioned trade was highlighted by the Hudson’s Bay Organization’s

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introduction of the Made Beaver currency. The mentioned currency was considered to be the
first standardized price on the basis of coat beaver pelts.
Social Environment
This had improved the relationship between indigenous and non indigenous Canadians. A
good number fisherman had been found to leave the job of fishing and take fur collecting as their
new profession. Indigenous people helped the French to collect as well as process Beaver fur.
Environmental impact
The excessive demand for fur cultivation has imposed highly negative impact on the
habitat of beavers. In order to obtain fur, beavers were killed by the hunters. More than 2
thousands beavers got killed in every 1and a half months in order to manufacture the hat as well
as export them to Europe.

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Reference List
Archibald, R. (2017). Trapped: Steel, Whiskey, Extinction, and the Upper Peninsula Fur
Trade. Upper Country: A Journal of the Lake Superior Region, 5(1), 70.
Berland, J. (2015). The Work of the Beaver. Material Cultures in Canada, 25-45.
Gillen, J., & Cameron, C. A. (2017). Negotiating citizenship: a young child's collaborative
meaning-making constructions of beavers as a symbol of Canada. Language and
Education, 31(4), 330-350.
Innis, H. (2017). The Fur Trade in Canada: an introduction to Canadian economic history.
University of Toronto Press.
Miller, J. R. (2018). Skyscrapers Hide the Heavens: A History of Native-newcomer Relations in
Canada. University of Toronto Press, 23-34.