Description
This course will examine the origins and development of this special group of young men in New France. They preferred the freedom and self-reliance of life in the forest, living and trading with the Indians, to the strictures of life on the farm or in the settlements of Quebec, Trois-Rivières, and Montréal. Although often at odds with civil and religious authorities, they continued to explore the vast western region of New France and to expand the fur trade. Their personalities and exploits became emblematic of the spirit of the early settlers and their descendants.
