David Thompson
David Thompson (1770 - 1857) was an explorer and a map-maker. He was one of the most important explorers of western Canada, and his writings and his maps were extremely valuable to the first fur traders and settlers who came to western Canada.
EARLY LIFE
David Thompson was born in England and went to school in London, where he was an excellent student who especially excelled in mathematics. At that time, beaver fur was a very valuable item, as it was used to make fancy hats for rich people in England. The new land called Canada had millions of beavers, so a new company called The Hudson's Bay Company was created in Canada that would find beaver furs in Canada and ship them back over to England. The best way to get beaver furs was to trade with the First Nations people, because they were expert hunters and could easily trap beavers and other animals. The Hudson's Bay Company set up trading forts all over Canada, and there the First Nations people could trade their beaver pelts for goods that they didn't have, such as guns, pots, kettles, alcohol an other things. When David Thompson was 14 years old, he went to work at the Hudson's Bay Company in Canada. He was a very valuable worker because he could read, write, and was an adventurous explorer. He started work as a "Nor'Wester, who would venture into the wilderness to find new routes and to trade with the First Nations people.
THE FUR TRADE
David soon became an expert in navigation and map-making and began making maps of western Canada. He loved exploring and made details notes and maps every time he traveled. Soon, another trading company called The North West Company hired David to work for them, because they wanted to use his excellent maps to help them find fur trading routes in the wild western Canadian lands.
FAMILY
While he was traveling around Western Canada, David Thompson met a Metis woman named Charlotte Small. She was a Metis (she had a French father and a Cree Mother) so she knew the Cree language and she knew all of the Cree people's fur trading tricks. She also spoke English. David Thompson and Charlotte Small were soon married and they had 13 children together. In 1812, David and his family moved to Montreal, where he continued his map-making.
RETIREMENT AND DEATH
David retired from map-making in 1836 because he had become blind from so many years of observing the sun without proper eye protection. He didn't recieve very much money for the maps he had made, so he died blind and penniless in 1857.
CHANGEMAKER
David Thompson is known as one of the greatest map-makers and explorers who ever lived. His maps changed the way people traveled through Canada, and allowed people to find their way here. If it wasn't for his maps which helped the fur trading companies find their way around western Canada, we might not have had so many people settle in the west. In fact, David Thompson's maps were even used by scientists 100 years after he made them, because the maps were so accurate and detailed. Some of the maps we use today were probably copied from David Thompson's work.
BELIEFS AND VALUES
David Thompson probably valued learning, because he learned many languages such as French and Cree. His excellent math and navigation skills helped him become a great map-maker and he kept learning more even as he grew old. He also valued First Nations Culture. He knew that the First Nations were very valuable friends and he grew to love the Cree culture. He also valued adventure, which made him into one of the greatest explorers ever to navigate in western Canada.
REFERENCES
Our Alberta Book 2 (pages 200 - 201)
Ordinary People in Alberta's Past (page 29)
www.wikipedia.com
EARLY LIFE
David Thompson was born in England and went to school in London, where he was an excellent student who especially excelled in mathematics. At that time, beaver fur was a very valuable item, as it was used to make fancy hats for rich people in England. The new land called Canada had millions of beavers, so a new company called The Hudson's Bay Company was created in Canada that would find beaver furs in Canada and ship them back over to England. The best way to get beaver furs was to trade with the First Nations people, because they were expert hunters and could easily trap beavers and other animals. The Hudson's Bay Company set up trading forts all over Canada, and there the First Nations people could trade their beaver pelts for goods that they didn't have, such as guns, pots, kettles, alcohol an other things. When David Thompson was 14 years old, he went to work at the Hudson's Bay Company in Canada. He was a very valuable worker because he could read, write, and was an adventurous explorer. He started work as a "Nor'Wester, who would venture into the wilderness to find new routes and to trade with the First Nations people.
THE FUR TRADE
David soon became an expert in navigation and map-making and began making maps of western Canada. He loved exploring and made details notes and maps every time he traveled. Soon, another trading company called The North West Company hired David to work for them, because they wanted to use his excellent maps to help them find fur trading routes in the wild western Canadian lands.
FAMILY
While he was traveling around Western Canada, David Thompson met a Metis woman named Charlotte Small. She was a Metis (she had a French father and a Cree Mother) so she knew the Cree language and she knew all of the Cree people's fur trading tricks. She also spoke English. David Thompson and Charlotte Small were soon married and they had 13 children together. In 1812, David and his family moved to Montreal, where he continued his map-making.
RETIREMENT AND DEATH
David retired from map-making in 1836 because he had become blind from so many years of observing the sun without proper eye protection. He didn't recieve very much money for the maps he had made, so he died blind and penniless in 1857.
CHANGEMAKER
David Thompson is known as one of the greatest map-makers and explorers who ever lived. His maps changed the way people traveled through Canada, and allowed people to find their way here. If it wasn't for his maps which helped the fur trading companies find their way around western Canada, we might not have had so many people settle in the west. In fact, David Thompson's maps were even used by scientists 100 years after he made them, because the maps were so accurate and detailed. Some of the maps we use today were probably copied from David Thompson's work.
BELIEFS AND VALUES
David Thompson probably valued learning, because he learned many languages such as French and Cree. His excellent math and navigation skills helped him become a great map-maker and he kept learning more even as he grew old. He also valued First Nations Culture. He knew that the First Nations were very valuable friends and he grew to love the Cree culture. He also valued adventure, which made him into one of the greatest explorers ever to navigate in western Canada.
REFERENCES
Our Alberta Book 2 (pages 200 - 201)
Ordinary People in Alberta's Past (page 29)
www.wikipedia.com