Deerskin trade

This was in part due to a shift in London fashions, where a new kind of hat made from leather became popular.

The end of a diversified fur trade altered the relationship between colonists and Native Americans and, in many cases caused an increase in tension and conflict.

[1] For Native Americans, the trade lessened independence and pulled hunting away from home for long periods, which led to change in family structure.

After the Europeans bought deerskin, they had to haul it to the coast, initially using pack horses, but this was expensive, so some English settlers encouraged Chickasaw to raid and enslave neighboring tribes to lower their costs.

Since so many Native American families participated in the deer trade, they had access to the European economy and soon were completely reliant on it for goods.