Book Review, Fur Empire(s)
Dec 10, 2011 20:33:25 GMT -7
Post by Rod on Dec 10, 2011 20:33:25 GMT -7
I just finished with a pair of books by John Phillip Reid, "Forging a Fur Empire" and "Contested Empire", published by the University of Oklahoma. Both books deal with the Snake River brigades of the 1820s-30s. "Forging a Fur Empire" covers 1809-1824, and covers the very early NWC and HBC expeditions into the Snake River country. Although Reid does cover to some extent the early expeditions of McDonald, McKenzie, and Bourdon, he concentrates on Alexander Ross mainly because Ross was the only one to leave a record of his travels. Reid closely examines the often antagonistic relationship between Ross and the Iroquois freemen that made up the bulk of his brigade, and how Ross reacted to those freemen bringing Jed Smith into their camp (not to mention the freemen trading away their beaver to Smith). Ross was replaced after only one trip, but many of his suggestions were put into use in later expeditions.
"Contested Empire" looks at Peter Skene Ogden, who took over from Ross, and his equally antagonistic relationship with the freemen. Likewise, Ogden ran into Americans, this time the bellicose Johnson Gardner. His encounter with Gardner colored his opinion of Americans from then on. However it did change the way the HBC priced their goods and paid their freemen. Reid notes the HBC competed with the Americans very successfully in the Snake country, once they realized that they could raise the price of beaver and lower the cost of goods and still show a profit. John Work is lightly covered at the end of the book, but Reid doesn't go into his experiences much.
Reid is a lawyer, and it shows in his writing, which can get rather legalistic at times. I tend to think he dwells a bit much on legal issues, at times finding 'laws' and 'rules' where I'm not sure they really existed---for instance his notion in "Forging a Fur Empire" that there could be an overarching Native legal concept for intertribal relations. I tend to think it varied more tribe to tribe than Reid does. He's also not sure what an apishamore is, but that's beside the point.
That aside, these are a pair of interesting and thought-provoking books that'll make you think, and examine what you thought you knew of the Snake Country brigades. I recommend them.
www.oupress.com/
Rod
"Contested Empire" looks at Peter Skene Ogden, who took over from Ross, and his equally antagonistic relationship with the freemen. Likewise, Ogden ran into Americans, this time the bellicose Johnson Gardner. His encounter with Gardner colored his opinion of Americans from then on. However it did change the way the HBC priced their goods and paid their freemen. Reid notes the HBC competed with the Americans very successfully in the Snake country, once they realized that they could raise the price of beaver and lower the cost of goods and still show a profit. John Work is lightly covered at the end of the book, but Reid doesn't go into his experiences much.
Reid is a lawyer, and it shows in his writing, which can get rather legalistic at times. I tend to think he dwells a bit much on legal issues, at times finding 'laws' and 'rules' where I'm not sure they really existed---for instance his notion in "Forging a Fur Empire" that there could be an overarching Native legal concept for intertribal relations. I tend to think it varied more tribe to tribe than Reid does. He's also not sure what an apishamore is, but that's beside the point.
That aside, these are a pair of interesting and thought-provoking books that'll make you think, and examine what you thought you knew of the Snake Country brigades. I recommend them.
www.oupress.com/
Rod
