Global Case Study: the Hudson’s Bay Company

-------------------------------------------------

Global Case Study: The Hudson’s Bay Company

How did the Hudson’s Bay Company contribute to the development of Canada?

There are many factors of how the Hudson’s Bay Company contributed to the development of modern Day Canada. Such factors include the geography of Canada, the cultural and social factors, political and legal factors, as well as the economic conditions.

Geography:

* The first settlers and the Hudson’s Bay Company quickly befriended the native Cree who shared the best areas for trapping and trading.

* When the Hudson’s Bay Company knew the climate, they were also able to tell where and when certain animals would be so they could further trade fur

* For this reason the first settlers and Hudson’s Bay Company made many outposts along the lands which marked fur rich areas. These areas have turned into some of today’s largest and most populated cities. (Montreal, and Toronto)

* Thus more exploration took place, and more lands were found in Canada.

* With the amount of natural resources in Canada, (wood/fish) the cost of building settlements for the Hudson’s Bay Company was much cheaper, therefore letting them build faster, and bigger trading posts

Cultural and Social Factors:

* When the first setters came and established the Hudson’s Bay Company, they quickly befriended the Cree, and many other native nations.

* With the settlement getting larger by being funded by the Hudson’s Bay Company, more and more settlers came to Canada as well.

* As the settlers tightened their relationship with the natives, they started to share beliefs

* With Catholicism being the main religion among the settlers and workers of the Hudson’s Bay Company, they started teaching their ways to the natives, and successfully converting them, and giving them the opportunity to go to school (although multiple records show that many natives were forced into this).

* How this shapes Canada is that it brings...