My First Years in the Fur Trade: The Journals of 1802-1804 George Nelson (Rupert's Land Record Society) [Hardcover]

George Nelson (Author), Laura Peers (Editor), Theresa M. Schenck (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2003 | Series: Rupert's Land Record Society

Captivated by tales of adventure, fifteen-year-old George Nelson left his family in Quebec in 1802 and headed to the Northwest Territory to work for Sir Alexander Mackenzie's XY Company, one of the major fur trade companies of the time. Required to keep a daily log as a fur trade clerk, his growth from homesick lad to experienced fur trader forms the heart of this unique and fascinating journal. He recorded his feelings and thoughts, and was a vital witness to all that went on around him. Nelson's journals are particularly valuable for their candid observations on the customs and culture of the Ojibwa people and provide some of the most detailed descriptions available of Ojibwa spiritual practices. Long treasured by fur trade historians, the early journals of George Nelson are published here in their entirety for the first time. Careful editing and annotation by Laura Peers and Theresa Schenck explain references to people and Ojibwa culture and provide context on the North American fur trade.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Mcgill Queens Univ Pr; 1st edition (July 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0773523782
• ISBN-13: 978-0773523784
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,202,656 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Obscure, January 9, 2003

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William J Higgins III (Laramie, Wyoming United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: My First Years in the Fur Trade: The Journals of 1802-1804 (Hardcover)

While the introduction and footnotes were very well edited, I did struggle through the actual journals themselves. This could be attributed to Nelson's writing style, my unfamiliarity with Lake Superior geography and/or the plethora of French nomenclature (which can generate confusion for some). Overall, the journals are insightful of survival strategies and day to day existence in the fur trade years of 1802-04 in northern Wisconsin. Nelson, who was only fifteen when joining the XY Company, was a keen observer of Ojibwa Indian customs, the interrelationships between company men and his immediate surroundings. If the writing of the journals had more continuity, it would have been an enjoyable read.