What was one consequence of the coureurs de bois operating outside official French government regulations?

• A. It strengthened the government's monopoly on fur trade.
• B. It bypassed government controls and broadened the network of exchange with Indigenous traders.
• C. It led to a formal treaty with Indigenous communities.
• D. It had no impact on colonial governance.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how informal, independent trading reshapes colonial economics and control. When traders operate outside official regulations, they can move goods and money through channels the government doesn’t directly oversee. The coureurs de bois did exactly this: they traded directly with Indigenous groups, forging new partnerships and routes that bypassed licensing and monopolies the Crown tried to enforce. That freedom expanded the fur-trading network far beyond official limits, bringing in more furs and wealth while undermining the government’s tight grip on trade. It’s this dynamic—skipping controls and widening exchange networks with Indigenous traders—that best captures the consequence described.