Big Apple History . Early New York . Fur Trading


	"Dutch Weight"

Although Hudson failed to find a shortcut to Asia, Dutch merchants still benefited from his voyage to the area that is now New York. Hudson discovered many opportunities to trade with the natives for furs, which the Dutch prized. In exchange for European products such as iron drills, guns, and alcohol, the Native Americans traded pelts from beavers, otters, and minks.

The Dutch were amazed at the great deals the local Indians gave them on furs. Why would the natives be so generous? Well, the secret is that the Europeans and the Lenape valued fur very differently. For the Europeans, owning furs was a major reflection of one's social status. For the Lenape, fur was simply a necessary part of life, like wood, useful for keeping warm.

Before the 1620s, Lenape men hunted only for survival but once the fur-trading frenzy began, these men became professional fur hunters. This new source of income changed the social structure of the local tribes. Because the men now spent so much time out hunting for goods to trade with the wealthy Europeans, they spent less time with their families. Also, the lure of the European's money was so strong it resulted in increased competition between different tribes for the Europeans' business. The Iroquois tribe benefited from this competition and became more powerful than their neighbors.

Illustration: "Dutch Weight," by G. Cruikshank, courtesy of the Berg Collection of English and American Literature, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations.