1. Mountain men & the Rendezvous

2. Role of Mountain Men in Westward Expansion
Mountain Men explored the west and the Rocky Mountains in search of Beavers and other animals for their pelts.
The geographical information the Mountain Men gathered help future generations move west
Trails West– Mountain Men started trails that helped people migrate west.
Guides–When the fur trade died out, Mountain Men became guides for people and groups moving west.

3. Jedidiah Smith Discovered South Pass which opened the way for westward expansion into Oregon and California
Smith was also:
the first American after the Astorians to cross west over the Continental Divide
the first Anglo-American to travel overland to California
the first to traverse the Sierra Nevada
the first to cross the Great Basin Desert
the man who roamed through more of the West than anyone of his era

5. Mountain Men Mountain men were: very rough and tough
adventurous businessmen
transients
The fur trade provided the financial support and stability that the mountain men needed to crisscross the continent in search of adventure and profit.

6. The Fur Trade
The Rocky Mountain Fur Trade - Beaver Pelts were the fur of choice in the Rockies
Beavers were trapped primarily by mountain men wanting to make a living while living a life of adventure.
Beaver pelts were very lucrative and could be traded for needed supplies and money.
Beaver pelts were sold at a yearly rendezvous
Beaver pelt were turned into popular hats to be sold in Europe.

7. The Rendezvous
The Rendezvous was a yearly events where trappers sold or exchanged the pelts they had trapped for supplies they needed.
The rendeavous system allowed the mountain men to stay in the wilderness year round

8. The Rendezvous
The rendezvous began as a practical gathering to exchange pelts for supplies
It evolved into a month long carnival in the middle of the wilderness
Mountain man James Beckwourth described the festivities as :
“"mirth, songs, dancing, shouting, trading, running, jumping, singing, racing, target-shooting, yarns, frolic, with all sorts of extravagances that white men or Indians could invent."

9. The Rendezvous An easterner gave this view:
At the rendezvous there were:
horse races
running races
target shooting competitions
Gambling
and whiskey drinking that accompanied all of them.
An easterner gave this view:
"mountain companies are all assembled on this season and make as crazy a set of men I ever saw."
After rendezvous, the men headed off to their fall trapping grounds.