Nathaniel Hale traces the fur trade from royal robes and beaver hats in Europe to the Norse in Vinland, the cod fishermen who opened the northern frontier, and the French, Dutch and English traders who fought for pelts. Trading posts change hands, as when Plymouth men hire an armed ship to retake Pentagoet in Maine, and palisades rise along every river.
Readable narrative history for anyone curious about the commercial engine behind colonial North America. Download the free EPUB.