1. Who are the Mountain Men?<br />Did Mountain Men encourage or discourage WWX?<br />How did Mountain Men connect to other events in WWX? What is the cause and what is the effect?<br />Mountain Men roamed the rugged Rocky Mountain between 1810 – 1840. They were brought to this unsettled expanse for a sense of adventure and, mostly, for the trapping of Beaver. At the time, Beaver pelts were extremely popular throughout Europe and these trappers could make a huge profit. <br />The Mountain Men survived in the wild frontier through many hardships. On a daily basis Mountain Men faced death from starvation, dehydration, burning heat, freezing cold and possible attack by wild animals or Indians.<br />Many of these men looked forward all year to the July rendezvous. As Beavers would shed their summer coat, this was an ideal time to meet since they would not be trapping Beaver.. The rendezvous would bring the trappers from all over in order to trade furs, resupply, and enjoy a social gathering after a year of solitude. The rendezvous became a wild party of horse racing, running races, target shooting, gambling, and intense whiskey drinking.<br />It was after the depletion of the Beaver due to overtrapping that the Mountain Men found themselves essential to Westward Expansion. They were well trained in the area, made excellent explorers and served as guides for the wave of emmigrants heading West.<br />