48 It remained this way for many thousands of years. This “balance” did amazingly well until another variable was introduced. In 1492, a certain someone sailed that ocean blue. And what did that special person do? Forever change history, especially that of the environment. That certain someone being Christopher Columbus of course. When he discovered the Americas, he caused most European nations to grab and grasp whatever bit they could. Quickly, hundreds of people with disconcerting perceptions of the wilderness, new invasive species ready to dominate said wilderness, and many diseases to destroy that wilderness arrived in what is now the United States.6 And that's just what they did. They drastically began to affect the environment. With overhunting being one of the very first major effects. The French colonists were first to start settling in the Fox River areas in the early 1700’s. They much liked the easily accessible rivers that allowed them to easily navigate the land and the access to the Great Lakes.7 They also quickly took a liking to the many different furs available. Beaver, bison, and many other species quickly started disappearing due to being hunted in increasing numbers. Beavers especially were hunted en masse for their very water repellent furs. They could be used for many different purposes and were a luxury back in Europe that sold extremely well. So valuable that it was the driving cause for western expansion, and even caused a few wars, most notably the Beaver Wars.8 Native Americans quickly took advantage of this demand as well and began to hunt for furs specifically as well. As more and more settlers arrived and expanded, more and more animals were hunted for their furs. They hunted with little consideration about whether the animal would go extinct, they just wanted the furs. Beavers nearly became extinct in the late 6 “1492: An Ongoing Voyage Europe Claims America: The Atlantic Joined.” Library of Congress, August 13, 1992. https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/1492/eurocla.html. 7 “1492: An Ongoing Voyage Europe Claims America: The Atlantic Joined.” Library of Congress, August 13, 1992. https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/1492/eurocla.html. 8 Rust, Randal. “Beaver Wars, Summary, Facts, Significance, Timeline, Colonial America.”
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