1. Mountain men and trappers of utah
Foundations of Social Studies

2. Mountain Men
Mountain men were trappers who trapped for themselves, and traded with the Indians.
Employees of American, British, or Mexican fur companies.
Around 3,000 men, women, and children went west to trap.
They dress like Native Americans-shirts and pants made of leather.
Around their neck they wore a “possibles sack”-it held a mold to make bullets, a knife, a flint, a tin cup, and other useful items.
Trappers lived and ate off of the land.

3. Greeting the trappers
Cache: a hiding place in the ground used for provisions or treasures used by mountain men.

4. Rendezvous! Usually happened in July Mountain Men brought their furs
The Indians also came
Managed by large fur companies
The fur companies bought the furs and brought supplies for the mountain men to purchase
Was a time of celebration, dancing, and singing
Trappers received about 10 dollars for a pelt which is equivalent to 100 dollars today
But the traders charged high prices for their supplies

5. Indian trapper conflict
Many times the Indians were friendly and even served as guides along the rivers and trails
The Indians sometimes let the trappers winter in their lodges
However Indians did not like trappers on their land disturbing their way of life
They often stole horses and furs
Historians used to look at the mountain men in positive terms seen as “winning the west”
Today historians look at it differently, talking about the costs to American Indians as well as a commercial venture for white mountain men and trappers

6. Peter skene ogden Worked for Hudson Bay company
Cache Valley and Ogden regions
His journal is the earliest written account of northern Utah
Described the land as swarming with black crickets, air filled with seagulls, and he called Ogden a hole because it was surrounded by mountains
Ogden and the Ogden river are named after him

7. Jim bridger Worked for the Ashley - Henry fur company
Came to Utah at 20 years old
Great story teller
Trapped in Cache Valley along the Bear River
When he came to the Great Salt Lake he thought he discovered the Pacific Ocean
After his trapping days he stayed in the west and started a trading post in Wyoming known as Fort Bridger

8. Jedediah smith Worked for the Ashely-Henry fur company
When he first came to the west he took a rifle and a bible
He was attacked by a grizzly bear and lost an ear
First man to travel across the length and width of Utah. Discovered no rivers flowed out of the Great Salt Lake to the Pacific Ocean
Very prejudice against the American Indian, which is ironic because after he left Utah he was killed by a Comanche Tribe.

9. James beckwourth and Etienne provost
Worked for the Ashely-Henry fur company
Born a slave in Virginia
He was also an explorer, miner, army scout, and business man
Adopted by the Crow Indian tribe
Married a Crow woman
Wrote a book about his life
Etienne Provost
Trapper from New Mexico
He believed he was the first to see the Great Salt Lake
He guided many expeditions into the valleys
Established Indian trading posts along the shores of the Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake
Attacked by an Indian tribe in Utah first recorded conflict between the white man and Indians in the territory
Provo and the Provo River are named after him

10. James beckwourth and Etienne provost

11. OUtcomes
By the early 1940’s the trapping business was over because fashion had changed
Mountain men had hunted so many beavers that only a few remained
These men became guides for pioneers, map makers, some ran posts and stores, and others went on to become explorers for the government
The contact between these men and the Indians changed the Indian life style forever, including hunting strategy, the introduction of guns, metal objects, and clothing styles
In order for the Indians to get what they wanted from the white man they started killing more animals, so the supply of animals began to run low
Opened up Utah for other European immigrants