Which term refers to a 'runner of the woods' and independent trader?

• A. Courier du Bois
• B. Mercantalism
• C. Economy
• D. The Thirteen Colonies

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is recognizing a historical term for a specific kind of trader who moved through forests to trade. The phrase coureur de bois literally means “runner of the woods” and was used for independent French-Canadian fur traders who lived in the wilderness and traveled to Indigenous communities to trade, often outside the control of formal trading companies. This term captures both the roaming, forest-based lifestyle and the independent, entrepreneurial nature of their work in the fur economy of early New France.

Other options describe broader concepts or places rather than a person or role. Mercantilism refers to an economic theory about how nations should manage trade and wealth; Economy is the overall system of production and exchange; The Thirteen Colonies is a geographic region, not a person or occupation.