The first white people who lived year-round in
what is now
Colorado were trappers and traders. The trappers set their own traps to
catch beaver. The traders exchanged manufactured goods with Indians for
furs from animals they had killed. Most of the
trappers and traders worked either for Canadian or American fur companies.
Fur trapping and trading with the Indians went
hand in hand. Traders organized the trapping companies and supplied goods to
both the trappers and to the Indians. Many Indian tribes in the region
also participated in the fur trade. They provided furs, supplied traders and trappers with food, and served as guides and interpreters.
Other tribes were hostile. They threatened the work of the traders and
trappers at every turn. |
Image Courtesy the Colorado Historical Society |
