Which pair of explorers is associated with the early fur trade and exploration of Hudson Bay?

• A. La Salle + Joliet
• B. Cartier + Champlain
• C. Hudson + Cabot
• D. Radisson + Des Groseillers

Answer: (D)

The question tests understanding of who really connected exploration with the early fur trade in Hudson Bay. Radisson and Des Groseilliers were crucial figures in this story. They were French traders who visited Hudson Bay in the 1650s, heard firsthand about the vast beaver pelts and trading opportunities there, and then spread that news to English merchants. Their reports and push to organize trade in that region helped catalyze the formation of the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1670, making them central to both exploration and the budding fur-trade network in Hudson Bay.

The other pairs are linked to different places or missions: La Salle and Joliet explored the interior of North America toward the Mississippi River; Cartier and Champlain focused on the St. Lawrence region and early French settlement in Canada; Hudson (Henry Hudson) and Cabot are connected to other routes and times (Hudson to his river/ bay exploration, Cabot to earlier voyages from Europe). But for the specific tie between Hudson Bay and the fur trade, the pair that fits best is Radisson and Des Groseilliers.