|
Guy Carleton | Jay's
Treaty | Black
Loyalists | Alexander
Mackenzie |
Simon Fraser |
David Thompson |
John Graves Simcoe |
Captain George Vancouver |
The Northwest Company |
Prevost's Conciliation |
Tecumseh |
The War of 1812 | Lord Selkirk
| Newfoundland |
Constitution Act 1791
Fraser was born just as the American
Revolution was breaking out in Mapletown, New York. His
father was in the British Army and was captured during
the battle of Saratoga and died as a prisoner. Like many
other loyalists families, Fraser's headed North to the
remaining British Colonies and settled at Cadillac
Quebec. Like many other young loyalists, Fraser was
swept up by the Northwest Company at an early age and
followed two of his uncles into the fur trading
business.
He was sent west and
spent 13 years in the Northwest Companies Athabasca
Department where he go to know Alexander Mackenzie. He
worked hard and did well and by 1801 at the age of 24 he
was made a full partner in the company. Mackenzie's
trips had opened up the West and North and Fraser was
given the job of exploiting these new lands by setting
up trading posts and generating business.
In the fall of 1805,
Fraser established his first trading post called Rocky
Mountain Portage House on the Peace River. He carried on
throughout the winter and named the new lands west of
the Rockies New Caledonia after his ancestral home in
Scotland. He also established another trading post at
Fort McLeod after traveling along the Pack River. He
continued to oversee the establishment of trading posts
and quickly built a network of posts and routes to
expedite the gain of and transportation out of furs. In
1807 he established Fort George which later became
Prince George and was ready by the spring of 1808 for
his run down the river which bears his name - the
Fraser. Like
Mackenzie, he too thought that the Fraser was actually
the Columbia River and that he would reach the Pacific
much further south. On May 28, 1808 he departed Fort
George with 24 men. Fraser was careful to build good
relationships with the native people he met and traveled
down the first part of the Fraser which was relatively
smooth without incitement. From Lillooet on things began
to change. The river became much rougher and in some
places impassable by boat. He had to portage around
these rapids and in some cases along sheer rock faces,
to get downstream. When he reached present day hope the
river opened up into a large valley and flowed gently
down to the Straits of Georgia. The journey did begin to
turn sour at this point due to one Indian band which was
aggressive and attacked Fraser and his men. These were
the Musqueam who lived in present day Vancouver. Fraser
was forced to return quickly up the river where his
ordeal was picked up on by previously neutral bands who
had now become hostile. Fraser was able to get his men
through this trouble and by August 6, 1808 they had
returned to Prince George. Fraser knew that the river he
had just travelled was not the Columbia because it's
mouth was too far North.
Fraser spent another 11 years working for
the Northwest Fur Company in which time he became
embroiled in the Battle of Seven Oaks which was between
the Northwest and Hudson Bay Companies. He was captured
by the HBC forces and sent back East to stand trial.
Once back East he was released and later acquitted of
all charges. He returned to the Northwest but in 1818 he
left forever and settled in Cornwell Ontario. He married
in 1820 and had 8 children which reached maturity and
lived a long life ending on August 18, 1862.
He was one of the last surviving partners
of the Northwest Fur Company and served a brief stint as
Captain in the 1st Regiment during the rebellions of
1837. Like Mackenzie and Thompson, Fraser was one of the
true explorers who opened up the country and made Canada
what it is today. |
