Hudson's Bay Company Charter
The Hudson's Bay Company Charter was the royal charter granted by Charles II on May 2, 1670, giving the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading into Hudson's Bay a trade monopoly over the lands draining into Hudson Bay.
What happened and why it matters
The 1670 charter created one of the longest-running trading companies in the world and a supply chain built around remote posts, seasonal shipping, and long inventory cycles. The company held a monopoly over Rupert's Land, the vast region drained by rivers flowing into Hudson Bay, and traded European goods for furs at posts along the bay that ships could reach only during the short ice-free season. It held the territory until transferring it to Canada in 1870 for 300,000 pounds. Planning a year of supply around one shipping window is an extreme form of the seasonal planning remote deliveries still need.
Related events
Sources
- Rupert's Land thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
- Hudson's Bay Company en.wikipedia.org