Spanish fur trade from New Mexico, 1540-1821

Sample text/Opening Paragraph:::

"When the Mountain Men began their invasion of the Rockies in the 1820's, the tiny village of Taos, in New Mexico, took its place alongside Fort Vancouver and St. Louis as one of their three favorite "jumping-off points" in the search for beaver pelts. Spanish exploration of the area that now comprises the Southwestern United States had antedated that of the Anglo-American by over 250 years, but it was not until the arrival of the latter group that large-scale fur trapping took place. In the mountains and high plateaus of Colorado and New Mexico and in the beaver-rich valleys and tributaries of the Arkansas, Rio Grande, Green, Colorado, Gila, Sacramento and San Joaquin, the Anglo extracted great wealth show more where the Spaniard had seen only an unpromising wilderness. Although the Spaniard carried on a lively trade in deerskins and buffalo hides in the Southwest, there is little evidence of a significant trade in fine furs during the period of 1540 to 1821. "

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This is a interesting paper that outlines the history of the Spanish fur trade in New Mexico over a nearly 300 year period. Prof. Weber provides some interesting excerpts, stories, and insight into why fur trade never became the economic engine for the Spanish that it was for the French and English. It does not contain, as far as I can discern, any original research.

While the author demonstrates the existence of problems and what solutions were attempted over the years to resolve them, he does not build a strong connecting narrative that ties these diverse elements together. And I'd invite any interested reader to take a look at Herbert Bolton's earlier essay: "French intrusions into New Mexico, 1749-1752". Though Prof. Bolton's paper lacks Weber's newer scholarship, he does lay out a good cohesive story.

Finally, since this is a paper there isn't a bibliographical. However the footnotes provide wonderful ideas for further reading. [It took me a day to read this short paper because I kept having to stop and google various names, papers, and books.]

Pam T show less