Trading Mystery
Elementary: Grades 3–4
Story
Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
Back at home, Uncle Boots, Lily, Joseph, and Grandpa went into the back room to the old safe. As Uncle Boots fumbled for his key, Lily asked why he had the safe. "This old box was from the American Fur Company. Those were wild days at Wolf Point in old Chicago. We kept pelts, money; all kinds of things in safes like these so people couldn't steal. After the fur trade died out, Papa and I ended up keeping one. My friend Me-Te-A gave me some things that his family had from years of trading in exchange for things they needed for their journey," Uncle Boots explained as Grandpa helped him push open the heavy door. Inside, Lily and Joseph spotted the gun and piles of other things, too.
"Did you use the gun to protect yourself?" Joseph asked.
Uncle Boots took out the gun and showed the children its markings. "This was the American Fur Company's logo—three foxes," Uncle Boots explained. "The 'JA' stood for Jacob Astor, the company's founder. We used these guns to hunt and traded them for pelts. We'd trade a gun like this for about 20 beaver pelts, perhaps, but the amount changed depending on the exact situation."
"Did traders always trade with guns?" Lily asked.
"Not always," Uncle Boots explained. "Let me give you the whole story. The American Fur Company was one of the last trading companies in the area. It was an American company, and they didn't start trading in this area until after the War of 1812."
"Who traded before?" Joseph wondered.
 with Native Americans in exchange for animal pelts.'))
"It started with the French," Uncle Boots said. He rummaged in the safe and pulled out the tomahawk head and a small box. "They came in around 1690 after Marquette and Joliet, the first European explorers to this area. The Potawatomi came then, too. They were originally from Michigan and were big trappers. The French traded here for a long time. They traded many things, the most common being iron tools like this tomahawk head." He handed the piece of heavy metal to Joseph. "And these," he continued, opening the small box and showing them brightly colored glass beads. "The tribes used beads like money and for decoration."
"Did the American traders come after the French?" Lily asked, eager to see more from the safe.
"No, the British came next," Uncle Boots said.
"What did they trade?" Joseph asked.
"Well, more of the same, but also silver." Uncle Boots dug into the safe again, pulling out a bag of metal that jingled. He first showed them a handful of small jewelry; a round silver pin with a design of hearts and some pretty, dangly earrings. "They also used some trade items to show that they were partners with a tribe," Uncle Boots said, pulling out a metal cross with a symbol on it and an arm band made of silver.
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