Fur Trade
The Ioway Indians not only farmed the river valleys, but also hunted
in the vast prairie lands. They traded animal skins with Europeans for
items such as glass beads, cloth and knives. This trading often took place
at the many forts Europeans set up on the frontier.
At first the fur
trade was good for both the Indians and the Europeans. Eventually,
this trade led to conflicts over land. As time went on, many of the animals
that the Indians hunted became scarce, and the tribes needed to find new
hunting grounds.
The fur trade moved farther west, and conflicts arose between the Europeans
and the Indians.
Fort madison on the Mississippi River was built in 1808
to impress
the Indians and help the fur trade.
As these problems increased and pioneer settlers pressed farther west,
the U.S. government began moving the Indians even farther west. This caused
problems between the various Indian groups as one tribe moved into another's
hunting area.
Introduction to Pioneer Farming Continued...
Photo used by permission from the State Historical Society
of Iowa, Iowa City. |
