The creation of which company caused French fur traders to notice drops in furs reaching Montreal?

• A. Hudson's Bay Company
• B. Northwest Company
• C. East India Company
• D. British South Africa Company

Answer: (A)

The situation tests understanding of how a powerful trading organization can reshape where furs move. When the Hudson’s Bay Company was created, it secured rights to the vast Rupert’s Land and built a wide network of inland posts. This centralized, English-controlled system redirected much of the interior fur trade through HBC routes and markets, which often meant fewer furs reached Montreal’s French traders. In other words, the emergence of a dominant, expansive company disrupted traditional supply lines to Montreal, making traders notice a drop in furs arriving there. The other options don’t fit this shift in trade flow: the Northwest Company was a later rival trying to challenge HBC, the East India Company operated mainly in Asia, and the British South Africa Company was involved elsewhere entirely.