American Fur Company

Common card · No. 476107

The American Fur Company (AFC) was a prominent American company that sold furs, skins, and buffalo robes. It was founded in 1808 by John Jacob Astor, a German immigrant to the United States. During its heyday in the early 19th century, the company dominated the American fur trade. The company went bankrupt in 1842 and was dissolved in 1847. During the 18th century, furs had become a major commodity in Europe, and Indigenous people in North America became a major supplier. Several British companies, most notably the North West Company (NWC) and the Hudson's Bay Company, competed against Astor and capitalized on the lucrative trade in furs. Astor used a variety of commercial strategies to become one of the first trusts in American business and a major competitor to the British commercial dominance in North American fur trade. Expanding into many former British fur-trapping regions and trade routes, the company grew to monopolize the fur trade in the United States by 1830, and became one of...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Mary McGuire from Mackinac Island, USA, CC BY 2.0