What was the outcome of Guillaume Sayer's trial?

• A. He was found guilty of illegal fur trading, but was given no punishment because the jury believed he was participating in the free trade of his culture.
• B. He was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
• C. He was sentenced to imprisonment.
• D. The court upheld the trading company's monopoly over Red River.

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is how a local verdict can challenge a powerful trading monopoly. Guillaume Sayer, a Métis trader in the Red River Settlement, was charged under the Hudson’s Bay Company’s monopoly on fur trading. The local jury chose to acquit him, signaling that many in the community supported free trade and did not see the monopoly as justified in their market. This acquittal effectively undermined the HBC’s hold in that region and helped pave the end of that monopoly in Rupert’s Land. So the outcome was an acquittal, reflecting support for free trade rather than punishment, conviction, or upholding the monopoly.