US fur trappers and traders, who explored and developed the Rocky Mountains between the 1820s and 1840s. They caught public attention through their exploits and occupy an important position in the frontier legend. Their living conditions were harsh, and only a handful, such as Kit Carson, Jedediah Smith, and Thomas Fitzpatrick, survived long enough to return to a more settled existence after a decline in beaverskin prices in the 1840s.