Bell Ringer

Bell RingerWelcome to class!

Please go grab a book and look up these three definitions, they should be able to fit in your next box. You have 5 minutes!! Pelts: Cache: Rendezvous:

Next, Scale yourself on how brave you think you are from 1-10.

Mountain Men

Louisiana Purchase of 1803

President Thomas Jefferson bought this land from Napoleon (French) and it doubled the size of the U.S.

$15,000,000 = 3 cents an acre!

What was beyond the Mississippi?

The US bought all this land, but what did it encompass?• Lewis and Clark

Expedition 1804 explore the “unknown”

• Many Indian encounters, some friendly and some not so friendly.

• Came back with many reports of the different animal and plant life. Mentioned lots of Beavers…

Beaver Hats

• Fashion in the early 1800’s, especially in Europe, liked Beaver hats.

• For each “pelt” they sold, it was equal to about $100 dollars today.

• Only the bravest and toughest men dared to cross the Mississippi river

Mountain Men About 3,000 men went out

west to trap, but not many would ever make it back.

Have to learn to live off the land, deal with harsh weather, and Indian attacks.

Dressed like the Indians: Wore leather clothing, and had a “possibles sack” Mold to make bullets, knives,

flint, tin cup, and other useful items

Some worked for different American, British, or Mexican trading companies Hudson’s Bay Company Ashley-Henry Fur Company

Rendezvous: Why and where?

William Ashley started the practice of holding a yearly rendezvous in 1825. He found a place about half way between St. Louis and the trapping grounds. He brought supplies to sell. The prices were often marked up anywhere between 200 to 1000 percent

1826 Cache Valley (near present Hyrum), Utah

1827 Bear Lake, Utah 1828 Bear Lake, Utah

Who all went and What did they do?

Families. Native Americans to trade for trinkets. The Eastern merchants came to sell highly priced

goodies for the highly valued beaver pelts. Possibles are what the mountain men called their

supplies. “Everything that they could possibly need.” Drinking, gambling, fighting, and mayhem. The

rendezvous was the place to challenge others in knife and tomahawk throwing, muzzle rifle shooting, foot racing and cannon shooting contest. Mountain men liked to show their strength and skill.

Yarns Mountain men were famous for their ability to stretch a story to

near breaking. They called these exaggerated yarns a tall tale. Whoa Molly! “There was a horse that had the reputation of being the fastest-

stopping horse ever know. Her name was Molly. Every time she heard "Whoa Molly’ she would stop immediately where ever she was. Once Molly was stolen by an outlaw. The outlaw was being chased and he had no escape route. He rode Molly over a cliff and just before they hit the ground he said "Whoa Molly" and she stopped immediately and the outlaw gently stepped down to the ground and got away. Another time Molly was captured by an Indian tribe. The chief decided to kill Molly and then eat her so he could have her magical powers. Just as he was about to swallow the first bite the mountain man yelled "Whoa Molly!" and the meat stopped in his throat and he choked to death.”

Gone Belly up!By 1843 the beaver had pretty much been eliminated. Nutria from South America were replacing beaver as the preferred fur. The silk hat had become extremely

popular while fur itself declined. Pioneers were moving west and settling the trapping grounds.

Indian-Trapper Conflict

Indians Some did serve as guides,

traded, and helped them…mostly in the beginning.

As more came over, the Indians thought they were disturbing their way of life

See trapping as a money-making venture by men with no particular love of nature or respect for Indian ways.

Attacks on Mountain Men

Mountain Men Saw fur trade as the

“Winning of the west” Heroes, brave,

hardworking. Discovering the west.

Saw Indians as people in their way or people to be used to help the trappers obtain wealth.

That’s all ya ol’ coots!

"May your traps be full of plews, yor pot full of sweet buffler, and yor trail free of griz. Keep yor powder dry, watch yor top knot, and I'll

watch mine!"