Thought this program might interest some folks on this board.
http://kuow.org/program.php?id=20894 "The dawn of the 17th century was a horrible time for beavers," says Eric Jay Dolin in his new book "Fur, Fortune, Empire." A new fashion for beaver felt hats was sweeping Europe and the fur trade in North America made and lost the fortunes of many. Native American trappers hunted the animals nearly to extinction and sold off the pelts for shells and guns. Battles were fought between the British and the French over good trapping land. John Jay Astor became one of the new country's first millionaires trading beaver pelts. KUOW's Steve Scher talks with Eric Jay Dolin about the epic history of the fur trade in America."
