The Character and Influence of the Indian Trade in Wisconsin

"The Character and Influence of the Indian Trade in Wisconsin" by Frederick Jackson Turner is a historical examination that explores how trade posts and interactions with colonizers molded Wisconsin's economic and societal development, starting from initial European encounters. It looks at the methods of trade, cultural exchanges, and the relationships between Native American tribes and colonizers who traded with them. The book starts by explaining the important role that trading posts played in bringing together communities with differences in technology and how these interactions shaped their societies. Turner writes about trade before Europeans arrived, highlighting trade among the Native American people, and then discusses the effects of European trade systems. This eventually involved trade from French, English, and American settlers; setting up a detailed exploration into how these interactions changed not only the communities of Native Americans but also the economic makeup of Wisconsin. This forms the basis for the discussion on how trade changed and its effect on Wisconsin's original people and its settlers.