René Bourassa dit LaRonde: A Prominent Voyageur and Fur Trader

 René Bourassa dit LaRonde: A Prominent Voyageur and Fur Trader

René Bourassa (baptized December 21, 1688, in La Prairie, Quebec; d. September 7, 1778, in Montreal) was the eldest surviving son of François Bourassa and Marie Le Ber, inheriting his father's legacy as a key figure in New France's fur trade. Known as "dit LaRonde," René became one of the most active and adventurous voyageurs of the early 18th century, operating primarily in the pays d'en haut (the "upper country," encompassing the Great Lakes region and westward territories). 

His expeditions combined legitimate French trading ventures with risky illicit activities, driven by the lucrative beaver pelt market. Overhunting near Montreal and higher prices from English buyers in Albany pushed him westward, where he partnered with merchants, hired engagés (contracted laborers), and supported exploratory efforts by figures like Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye.

René's career spanned over four decades, from his early 20s until semi-retirement in the 1740s. He married twice—first to Agnès Gagné in 1710 (three children), then to Marie-Catherine Leriger de La Plante in 1721 (five children)—and his sons, particularly René Jr. and Ignace, later took over his operations at Michilimackinac (Mackinaw City, Michigan). 

He owned property in Montreal, including a house, a lot in Fort Michilimackinac, and enslaved laborers to manage his holdings. His expeditions were marked by peril: ambushes, tribal conflicts, and harsh winters. 

Below is a chronological overview of his major known expeditions and trading activities, drawn from notarial contracts, colonial records, and explorer journals.

Key Expeditions and Trading Ventures

Year(s)	Destination/Region	Details	Outcomes/Notes
Early 1710s–1721	Ottawa (Odawa) territory and Michilimackinac (Michigan)	As a young voyageur, René followed his father's paths, paddling canoes laden with trade goods (e.g., cloth, tools, alcohol) to exchange for furs with Ottawa and other Algonquian groups. In 1710–1720, he made seasonal trips from Lachine (near Montreal) to Michilimackinac, the fur trade hub at the Straits of Mackinac. These were standard pays d'en haut routes, covering 1,000+ miles via the Ottawa River, Lake Huron, and portages.	Built his reputation; earned profits from beaver pelts, which were overabundant but declining near settled areas. Likely hired by uncles like Jacques Le Ber for initial contracts.
1722	Albany, New York (illicit trade)	Ventured south from Montreal to Albany, smuggling furs to English merchants who paid double the French price (up to 2 livres per pound of beaver vs. 1 livre in Montreal). Covered as a "letter-carrying" trip but fined 500 livres by French authorities for violating trade monopolies.	Caught and penalized, but the profits tempted him to repeat such risks. This era saw widespread coureur de bois activity amid depleting local beaver populations.
1726–1727	Pays d'en haut (Great Lakes westward), including Baie-des-Puants (Green Bay, Wisconsin)	In partnership with merchants Nicolas Sarrazin and François Lefebvre Duplessis Faber, dispatched canoe brigades from Montreal to remote posts. Hired engagés like Jacques Gervais (contract notarized April 16, 1726) for the journey. In 1727, traded directly at Baie-des-Puants, where Duplessis was commandant of the French post.	Successful haul of pelts; established René as a major independent trader. Trips involved 20–30 men per brigade, navigating rapids and portaging 800+ pounds of cargo.
1729	New England (cover for illicit trade)	Granted permission by Montreal Governor Charles Le Moyne de Longueuil to carry official letters to New England colonies. Served as a pretext for smuggling furs southward, evading French patrols.	Avoided detection; highlighted the blurred lines between diplomacy and commerce in colonial rivalries.
1735–1736	Fort Saint-Charles (Lake of the Woods, Minnesota) and Fort Maurepas (near Red River, Manitoba)	Hired engagés to supply La Vérendrye's exploratory posts, part of the French push westward for furs and a route to the "Western Sea" (Pacific). René arrived at Saint-Joseph (Niles, Michigan) in July 1735, then wintered at Fort Saint-Charles with La Vérendrye. In spring 1736, led a party of five (including Laurent-Eustache Gamelin) toward Michilimackinac.	Deepened ties with La Vérendrye; wintered amid Cree and Assiniboine allies, trading and gathering intelligence on Sioux threats. Established a small post at Crane Lake (Vermilion River, Minnesota) in 1736, ignoring orders to join the main fort—leading to tensions with La Vérendrye.
1736 (June)	Michilimackinac from Lake of the Woods	En route back from Saint-Charles, his small group was ambushed by 100+ Prairie Sioux warriors near the Minnesota border. Accused of arming their enemies (Cree/Assiniboine), René and his men were captured. A Sioux war party prepared to burn him at the stake, but his enslaved Sioux girl intervened dramatically, pleading for his life based on tribal ties.	Miraculous escape; returned empty-handed to Michilimackinac. Tragically, the Sioux then massacred La Vérendrye's son Jean-Baptiste and 20 others in a trailing party. This incident escalated French-Sioux hostilities and underscored the fragility of alliances in the fur trade.
Late 1730s–1740s	Michilimackinac and Great Lakes posts	Semi-permanent base at Michilimackinac, where he owned property. Sent sons on brigades to Lake Nipigon (Ontario) and Lake of the Woods. In 1744, son René Jr. (b. 1718) was hired for Michilimackinac, Lake Nipigon, and Lake of the Woods runs; he led efforts to incite Dakota-Ojibwa conflicts for French advantage.	Family dynasty solidified; by 1740s, René managed from afar, with slaves handling logistics. Profited from Ojibwa and Ottawa trade amid the 1740s Anglo-French wars.
1750s–1760s	Michilimackinac during the Conquest	Continued operations into British rule post-1760. In 1763, Ojibwa allies (led by Chief Minweweh) captured Michilimackinac from the British in Pontiac's War—likely sparing René due to his long-standing relations.	Survived the transition; retired to Montreal by late 1760s. Witnessed the fur trade's shift to British dominance.

Context and Legacy

René's expeditions epitomized the voyageur life: grueling 2,000-mile round trips, seasonal departures from Lachine in May, returns by October, and winters in remote forts. He navigated not just geography but geopolitics—balancing French monopolies, Indigenous diplomacy (e.g., gifts to Cree leaders), and personal risks like the 1736 ambush. His illicit Albany runs fueled colonial tensions, while western ventures supported La Vérendrye's chain of posts (e.g., Fort St. Pierre on Rainy Lake), aiding French claims to the interior.

By the 1740s, with beaver scarcity and wars, René semi-retired, passing the trade to his sons, who expanded into Detroit and the upper Mississippi. The Bourassa family became "fathers of the fur trade," with descendants like journalist Henri Bourassa (1868–1952) tracing roots to these expeditions. For primary sources, see the Dictionary of Canadian Biography (Vol. IV) or notarial records in the BanQ (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec) collections.

Courtesy of Grok xAI and Drifting Cowboy.