The Copper Commodity Market, Ca. 1600; 1990

Item sets: The Sphex Club Papers; Jones Memorial Library Manuscripts Collection

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Identifier: MS1133-0394
Title: The Copper Commodity Market, Ca. 1600; 1990
Description: Peter Houck's lecture, "The Copper Commodity Market, Ca. 1600," presented on November 15, 1990, delves into the historical and economic significance of copper trade among the Native American tribes, particularly the Monacans, and its impact on the survival and economic strategies of early Jamestown colonists. Houck explores the advanced trade networks that existed among indigenous tribes, extending beyond the Virginia Piedmont, and how these networks included commodities like copper, valued both for practical and ceremonial uses. Houck asserts that copper played a pivotal role in the dynamics of Native American-European relations, influencing both cultural exchanges and conflicts. Houck challenges traditional narratives, emphasizing economic motives over romanticized historical interpretations, and sheds light on the Monacans' strategic use of copper as a trading asset.
Date: 15 November 1990
Creator: Houck, Peter W.
topic: talk; lecture; SPHEX Club; Peter Houck; Houck; 1990; copper trade; Monacan Indians; Jamestown colonists; Virginia Piedmont; Native Americans; Clovis points; Powatan; John Smith; Roanoke Island; copper mining; Algonquin; Tidewater; Blue Ridge Mountains; metallurgy; archaeology; colonial history; Monacan history
Type: Text
Genre: lectures
Digital Format: application/pdf
Language: English
Repository: George M. Jones Library Association
Rights: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Rights Holder: Peter W. Houck