Engagé facts for kids

An engagé (pronounced "ahn-gah-zhay") was a French-Canadian man who worked in the fur trade, mostly during the 1700s and 1800s. These men were often like indentured servants. This means they signed a contract to work for a certain time, usually to pay off a debt or for passage to a new land.

Engagés were very important for moving goods and furs across North America. They handled almost everything related to travel on rivers and lakes. This included keeping canoes in good shape, loading and unloading supplies, and paddling or steering the boats. They also had to carry boats and goods over land, a process called portaging.

They were responsible for setting up camps and finding their way through the wilderness. Engagés also interacted with Indigenous people during their journeys. Their work was different from that of free, licensed voyageurs or independent coureurs des bois, who were more like independent traders.

By the 1800s, the word "engagé" also described employees of the Hudson's Bay Company. These workers could be from any country, not just French-Canadian.