Impartial French-Canadian merchants who operated in North America through the seventeenth and 18th centuries, ventured deep into the wilderness, usually past the boundaries of established settlements, to commerce European items for furs with Indigenous peoples. Their actions performed a major function within the fur commerce and the exploration of the continent.
These merchants intimate data of the land and waterways, mixed with their relationships with Indigenous communities, proved important to the growth of the French fur commerce empire. Their explorations considerably expanded European geographical data of North America, opening new routes and establishing connections between distant areas. Their actions, whereas usually defying official rules, contributed considerably to the financial and political panorama of New France.
