Checking the Traps

The fur trade in the Rocky Mountains of America lasted from the early 19th century until the mid-19th century, roughly between 1800 and 1840. This period is often associated with the mountain men, who were trappers and traders working in the vast wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. The fur trade began to decline in the 1840s due to over-trapping, changes in fashion that reduced the demand for beaver pelts, and the westward expansion of settlers, which made the region less isolated and more settled.