The Grandest Fort on the Upper Missouri.
From 1828-1867 Fort Union was the most important fur trading post on the Upper Missouri. Here, seven Northern Plains Indian Tribes, including the Assiniboine, traded buffalo robes and other furs for goods such as cloth, guns, blankets and beads. This fort was a bastion of peaceful coexistence, annually trading over 25,000 buffalo robes and $100,000 of merchandise.
Features
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Peaceful Coexistence
Relations between local American Indian tribes and AFC employees were usually peaceful as trade was mutually beneficial.
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Who did they trade with? What was traded?
The fort traded with Northern Plains Indian Tribes primarily the Assiniboine. They traded bison and other furs for manufactured trade goods.
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What did they find in archeological digs?
Archeological digs from 1978-1989 unearthed over 1,000,000 artifacts! The diversity of artifacts makes it one of the largest fur trade collections.
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Did You Know?
One culture formed during the fur trade began with marriage's between native women and fort workers. These marriages soon formed the group identified as the Metis. The Metis, french for mix-blood, provided insight in tribal ways, customs and languages as well hunting for the fort.