In Search of Riches - the Trade that Shaped the Colonies (and New Fiction!)

It began with gold, silver, and...fur!

From the early days of Europe's exploration and conquest in the New World, there was expectation of awaiting riches for those willing to search out and plunder them. Precious metals like gold and silver discovered in the Aztec and Incan empires fed that notion, so when Jacque Cartier headed up the St. Lawrence River between 1534 and 1542, he anticipated finding similar treasure. Of course he hoped to uncover a water route to Asia too, where there was wealth to be had in silk and spices, but in the end, he discovered none of those things. 

Jacques Cartier

He did, however, find another valuable item. He found furs being trades among the native tribes in vast quantities. Back in Europe, certain fur-bearing animals like the beaver had gone nearly extinct, yet the demand for fur coats, collars, and hats was on the rise. 

Beaver Fur Top Hat

Often when we think of the Colonial period of American history, we think only life within the bounds of those first thirteen colonies and the obvious birth pains that brought about Colonial independence. But without the fur trade that was pressing exploration further into the continent, many of those birth pains might not have existed for many more generations.

Early on, the British were content to control the land east of the Appalatians, and France remained to the north, while Spain was more concerned with the Gulf Coast. But as the desire grew back in Europe for more fur, those countries began to expand their horizons beyond their small settlements and to push against one another. This is just the beginning of the fur trade story that led to the final settling of North America.

The era of the fur trade is one that resonates deeply with me, and it's part of the reason I wrote Mist O'er the Voyageur, my 2019 Selah Award finalist and 2-time Book-of-the-Year nominee. Now I have cause to celebrate that I've signed a contract for the sequel that will be published in a little over a year. Song for the Hunter will continue the story begun in Mist O'er the Voyageur, and it will further explore the people and practice of the fur trade in the Lake Superior region in 1807.

In the months ahead, as I work on edits and rewrites for my publisher, I'll also share more history of the fur trade that helped shape Colonial America and beyond, and I'll cover some aspects that I didn't during the writing and production of Mist O'er the Voyageur.

Stay tuned...

And while I have you here, please share my further joy as I celebrate my post-WWII farm girl romance THE LOVE COWARD that releases TODAY.

I wish you a full heart and many reasons to be grateful this Thanksgiving season.

Naomi

https://naomimusch.com/

Running the Gauntlet -- One of History's Most Brutal Punishments

I've recently been listening to the audio book of Follow the River,  a novel by James Alexander Thom--which is not reading for the squeamish, I must say, yet it is rich in history. I came to the chapter where the Indians' captives were forced to prove themselves by running the gauntlet. It was a brutal scene, hard to let myself imagine.

Gauntlet Historic Reproduction by Steve White http://www.stevewhiteart.com/

Many years ago, I first read about the running of the gauntlet in Allan W. Eckert's Winning of America series. In his first tome, The Frontiersman, I learned about the famed frontiersman Simon Kenton who was captured by the Shawnee and forced to run over 500 rods--nearly half a mile--between two long lines of natives--from women and children wielding sticks to the more powerful men who pounded him with clubs as he ran. Notably, captives were often stripped naked before the gauntlet began, so runners didn't even have the protection of a thin layer of clothing or shoes to enable their progress. 

This was a monumental feat. A man or woman who didn't succeed in completing a gauntlet, but fell to the ground during the punishing ordeal, would be beaten until they managed to get to their feet again and continue, or simply be sent back to the beginning to start again. Naturally, some did not survive the attempt, others succumbed to broken bones and terrible lacerations. They might even have their skulls cracked. Strangely, those who finished were often then ministered to by the natives, and if they showed particular stamina or prowess, they might then be adopted into the tribe or forced into slavery. Others might be killed outright, burned at the stake, or killed in some other way.

Sad history, all of it. HOWEVER, the natives were not alone in their use of the gauntlet. Running the gauntlet as a form of military punishment has been used around the world for many hundreds of years, perhaps even as far back as the ancient Romans. The British Royal Navy is known to have made use of the gauntlet as a means of punishment for infractions such as failing to return from leave or leaving an unsanitary berth, and it might be used as a conclusion to a court martial.

It is said that General George Washington himself made use of the gauntlet to punish deserting soldiers, particularly during the bitter year of 1777, when no amount of cajoling, threats, or even the offer of rewards seemed to be able to keep his armies supplied with soldiers.

Here is a 6-minute film about the history of the gauntlet as it pertained mostly to use in the Swedish military in the 1600s, even for the purpose of execution in the Court of Pikes, and how its use continued through history and on many continents. 

While there have been times when punishment is a needed occasion, man's brutality to man certainly knows no bounds, and it is difficult to discover a civilization that has proven itself to be ethically above another.

Writing History,

Naomi Musch

https://naomimusch.com/

Coming Soon! The re-release of The Love Coward a post-WWII romance of second chances. For updates and other news, please sign up for my monthly newsletter, and follow me on Bookbub, Amazon, Goodreads, and Facebook.