After 1681, what were coureurs de bois known as?

• A. Voyageurs
• B. Traders
• C. Explorers
• D. Partners

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that terminology in the fur trade reflected a shift from independent woods traders to organized, company-backed river transport crews. After this date, the men who paddled long canoe routes to move furs and trade goods were known as voyageurs. This label highlights their traveling role along the river networks—Montreal to the Great Lakes and beyond—and their function within organized trading enterprises, rather than solo trading in the woods.

Coureurs de bois described independent, unofficial traders who often operated outside formal licenses. That more solitary, exploratory image doesn’t fit the later, organized supply system that the term voyageur conveys. The other options—traders, explorers, partners—don’t capture the specific emphasis on long canoe journeys and the structured, company-driven fur trade that the term voyageurs communicates.