The American Fur Company Case Analysis
The American Fur Company
Sarah Julien
Business and Society
MGMT 363
9/27/10
INTRODUCTION
The American Fur Company was a relentless monopoly operating in the climatic era of the fur trade. It was established by John Jacob Astor in 1808. The company was created at a time that was favorable to its expansion; it even grew to have a more powerful presence than the federal government over vast areas. This case study analysis will evaluate John Astor in terms of his motives, managerial ability, and ethics. This case study would also delve into a brief history of the fur trade in America and its impact on society.
DISCUSSION
A Brief History of the American Fur Industry.
Anyone who has ever observed a fur trapper separating a pelt from a recently killed animal knows it is a gruesome, painstaking procedure. Yet this very act, repeated countless millions of times, was a surprisingly vital component in the early history of the United States. The hunting and killing of animals for their skins affected the survival of the Pilgrims and their precarious, debt-ridden colony; the relentless exploration of wild places prior to settlement; and the rapid decline and near demise of numerous mammalian species.
Fur became an item of great economic importance to the development of America, but it was politically important as well. The existence of French Canada depended upon the profits of the fur trade. France was not going to spend money on an unproductive outpost, and it was fur that kept Canada solvent. The beaver became a factor of empire, and battles were fought and treaties delayed over who was to control access to prime trapping areas. The future of North America depended on the flashing paddle and the beaver trap as much as it did on muskets and bayonets.
In Fur, Fortune, and Empire, best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin chronicles the rise and fall of the fur trade of old, when the rallying cry was “get the furs while they last.” Beavers, sea
Sarah Julien
Business and Society
MGMT 363
9/27/10
INTRODUCTION
The American Fur Company was a relentless monopoly operating in the climatic era of the fur trade. It was established by John Jacob Astor in 1808. The company was created at a time that was favorable to its expansion; it even grew to have a more powerful presence than the federal government over vast areas. This case study analysis will evaluate John Astor in terms of his motives, managerial ability, and ethics. This case study would also delve into a brief history of the fur trade in America and its impact on society.
DISCUSSION
A Brief History of the American Fur Industry.
Anyone who has ever observed a fur trapper separating a pelt from a recently killed animal knows it is a gruesome, painstaking procedure. Yet this very act, repeated countless millions of times, was a surprisingly vital component in the early history of the United States. The hunting and killing of animals for their skins affected the survival of the Pilgrims and their precarious, debt-ridden colony; the relentless exploration of wild places prior to settlement; and the rapid decline and near demise of numerous mammalian species.
Fur became an item of great economic importance to the development of America, but it was politically important as well. The existence of French Canada depended upon the profits of the fur trade. France was not going to spend money on an unproductive outpost, and it was fur that kept Canada solvent. The beaver became a factor of empire, and battles were fought and treaties delayed over who was to control access to prime trapping areas. The future of North America depended on the flashing paddle and the beaver trap as much as it did on muskets and bayonets.
In Fur, Fortune, and Empire, best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin chronicles the rise and fall of the fur trade of old, when the rallying cry was “get the furs while they last.” Beavers, sea
References: The Riches Came Pelting Down Wall Street Journal review by Michael Taube A Compelling and Well-Annotated Tale of Greed, Slaughter, and Geopolitics Los Angeles Times review by Art Winslow Fur, Fortune and Empire—The Epic History of Fur Trade in America Eric Jay Dolin (Hardcover) John Jacob Astor: America’s First Multimillionaire Axel Madsen pgs 61-69 Wealthy Merchant and Fur Trader HistoryNet.com