HIST101: Artifact Analysis of Beaver Fur Hat in Canadian History

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the beaver fur hat as a significant artifact in Canadian history. The introduction establishes the importance of artifacts as primary sources and introduces the beaver fur hat, highlighting its role in shaping Canada's political, environmental, social, and cultural landscape. The report details the hat's composition, historical context, and its connection to the fur trade, emphasizing its impact on trade economies, European colonization, and the relationship between European settlers and Indigenous peoples. The analysis explores the hat's influence on traditional sectors, the evolution of property rights, and its symbolic representation of Canada. The report concludes by summarizing the beaver fur hat's lasting impact on Canada's economic, political, social, and cultural development, emphasizing its role in shaping the country's identity. The analysis also references multiple sources to support the claims made throughout the report.

Ancient History

Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................2
Artifact (Beaver fur hat).........................................................................................................................2
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................4
References.............................................................................................................................................5

Introduction
The essay brings out a discussion on artifact made during the 16th and 17th century. Artifact is
an object made up of given shaped by human. There are many artefacts in the history such as
any piece of art, tool, or any object of archaeological interest. The essay has a brief
discussion of Canada`s beaver hat. The hat manufacturing led to several changes in the
political, environmental, social, and cultural changes in the Canada`s policies such as it is
often said that Canada has emerged as an important hub for business only because of beaver
hats with the help of fur (CBC/Radio-Canada, 2016).
Artifact (Beaver fur hat)
Beaver hat was made up of barbed hairs that gives a durable and luxurious comfort. The hat
was not only waterproof but also resilient. During 1950-60s, there was no substitute for every
fashion-concerned person. Fur skin of Natural habitats of Canada such as Muskrat, raccoon,
coyote, and red fox was extracted to produce beaver hats. This hat was native to Europe made
up of Aquatic habitats with shiny skin, wide colour range, and thick fur. The different colours
of fur were dark brown, pale golden brown, and even silvery (Waldram, Herring, & Young,
2006).
During the voyages, in 1530s and 1540s, French explorer conducts much earlier fur trading
from European and first nation people, which are associated with 16th century and later
explored in North America. Further the European beaver population was depleted and
collided with establishing European colonies in North America. Beaver hats had become the
integral part of trade economy of Canadian fur. Beaver`s population in North America was
favourable and this contained fuller coats which are more desirable in fur trading. After that
Canada and French played an important in establishing the north America`s fur trade.
European and aboriginal hunters kept suppling, which have capitalised the popularity of
beaver in the European market. Further, the fur traders introduced newcomers into Canadian

during 17 and 18th century. The best fur of beaver came from Canada, Alaska, and the
northern US. This fur was mainly used for decoration, production of outerwear such as cape
and coat, shoe liming, various types of head coverings, and garment.
After fur entered Canada in 1534, it totally relied on beaver pelts, which had become as
economic motivator to keep the European in the same continent. Production of Beaver fur
hats has positive influence on the traditional sectors such as gathering, food preparation,
agriculture, and aboriginal hunters. To great extent, these traditional sectors accounts for 70-
80 percent of indigenous labour (Discoverwildlife, 2018).
The policies changed when prices paid to indigenous hunters did not increases but it led to
changes in the regimes when Indians chose to limit their harvesting and this was closely
related to property rights. One classifying right related to property with spectrum at open
access where any person can hunt or do fishing once they get san complete private property
rights (Frégault, 1964).
The fur trade history of Canada reflects various culture at its best due to flow of fur trade
from North America, French, English, and many others who have worked for many years to
make this product in a remarkable industry. The Canadian mint claimed that beaver fur had
a long history in Canada in regards to both cultural icon and commodity. Huron have
honoured the fur as a sign and symbol of the tribe. Indigenous people used beaver sign to sign
the agreements and treaties. In the year 1975, beaver was recognised as an official symbol by
a group of private member bill in the House of Commons (Innis, 1999). The main purpose of
the this bill is to recognise the beaver as a symbol of Canada`s sovereignty. The significance
of beaver to explorations, discoveries, and settlement just in sign and symbol made in Canada
is very basic to the history of Canada. With no natural Killing and no human hunting
concerned the way by massive forest bushes that result into flooding, destroying the trees and

other Patagonian species. The exchange of goods populated a monarchy, which ultimately
have tied two cultures economically, politically, and symbolically. The value of beaver
industry has affected the trading and political alliances all-over the Europe and North
America that also help to shape the country that turned to Canada (Herscovici, 2017).
As a political impact, government of Canada had noticed that beaver had nearly become
extinct as a result of fur trading. Beaver had created such an influence in such a way that it
admitted that Canada might not exist if beaver would not be there and could not be explored
by Europeans as fast as possible (WAISER, and STARPHOENIX, 2017). Since the 16th
century, beaver was brought from North America to the Europe especially for producing hats.
This continued varying till the time of Victoria reached, when silk became their prior
preferences material (Innis, 1999). Between the 1715 and seven year`s war, the fur trade
expands greatly and it served a variety of resolutions that reflects economic, scientific, and
political conditions. Educated Frenchman are keenly interested in scientific inquiry. Other
governmental members are eager to find the extent to which Frenchmen was the first to
discover an overland route to divert it to the western seas (Schmutz, and Saskatoon, 2018).
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it can said that, beaver hat had reflected many changes in the
economic, political, social, and cultural factors of Canada. Although, it is interpreted that
beaver hat is an outcome of mixture of various culture from North America to French to
English to Canada. Moreover, the economy had been affected to such a large extent that it has
used the sign and symbol of beaver as a medium to sign the treaties among the parties.

References
CBC/Radio-Canada, (2016). Provider of fur, food and floods, the beaver is a Canadian
symbol. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/beaver-canada-symbols-1.3658037
Discoverwildlife, (2018). How are beavers responsible for the exploration of Canada?.
Retrieved from: https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/how-are-beavers-
responsible-for-the-exploration-of-canada/
Frégault, G. (1964). Canadian society in the French regime. Canadian Historical Association.
Herscovici, A. (2017). The Country that Fur Built: Canada’s Fur Trade History. Retrieved
from: https://www.truthaboutfur.com/blog/canada-fur-trade-history/
Innis, H. A. (1999). The fur trade in Canada: An introduction to Canadian economic history.
University of Toronto Press.
Schmutz,S. and Saskatoon (2018). Sewing with Natural Fur. Retrieved from:
http://munster.sasktelwebsite.net/FurSewing.html
WAISER, B. and STARPHOENIX, S. (2017). History Matters: Beaver felt made best hats.
Retrieved from: https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/columnists/history-matters-beaver-felt-
made-best-hats
Waldram, J. B., Herring, A., & Young, T. K. (2006). Aboriginal health in Canada: Historical,
cultural, and epidemiological perspectives. University of Toronto Press.