Historical Recognition of Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable

The bronze sculpture of Jean-Baptiste Point DuSable created by Erik Blome is titled Explorer.

A bronze bust of Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable (1745-1818) that is over eight feet tall was recently moved from the Chicago suburb of Evanston to Mackinaw City, Michigan on the Straits of Mackinac, between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. The sculpture is placed near Fort Michilimackinac, built in 1715 and used first by the French and then the British until the

conclusion of the Revolutionary War. Jean-Baptiste is often recognized as the founder of Chicago, as he is the first non-native person to have settled there. The sculpture's creator, Erik Blome, named his work Explorer, and he did not intend for it to be stationary, but to be a traveling educational exhibit about Jean-Baptiste. So why was it moved more than 400 miles from the Chicago area to the northern tip of Michigan's lower peninsula?

The choice of this site is understandable when primary sources about Jean-Baptiste's life are examined, as he was arrested by the British in 1779 and held briefly at Fort Michilimackinac as a prisoner during the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) due to suspicions about his French and American connections. He was not a typical colonist, as he was born in St. Domingue (now Haiti) in 1745 to an African-Caribbean mother and French father. He was educated in France. He arrived in Louisiana around 1764-65 with the intention of settling in New Orleans. However, Louisiana had become a Spanish possession in a secret transaction in 1762 when France ceded it to Spain. Jean-Baptiste learned of this after he arrived, then moved northward with his collection of French art that he had acquired while in France. He met and then married a Potawatomi woman named Kitihawa in a native ceremony in Illinois territory. They had a daughter in the late 1760's named Susanne. They also established a trading post just north of the Chicago River at a time when indigenous people were becoming more dependent on firearms and ammunition. Jean-Baptiste was arrested by the British in 1779, the same year that his son was born, who was named after him.

Jean-Baptiste's imprisonment at Fort Michilimackinac was brief, as he made a positive impression on Patrick Sinclair, the British lieutenant-governor of this region. Sinclair was overseeing the construction of Fort Mackinac on nearby Mackinac Island, which had a superior location. Sinclair noted Jean-Baptiste's intelligence and other qualities, which resulted in his release after a few months. Sinclair then employed Jean-Baptiste at his estate at St.Clair, near Detroit. The estate was called The Pines, and it was also a center for trade. According to Britannica, the trading post was managed by Jean-Baptiste from about 1780 to 1784, a year after the end of the Revolutionary War. Sinclair was subsequently investigated by the British, and Jean-Baptiste returned to Chicago. In 1788, he and Kitihawa had a second marriage ceremony at Cahokia, Illinois, which was Catholic, and at that time, Kitihawa was given the name Catherine. Their trading post was successful, and primary historical accounts exist with descriptions of a well-furnished cabin that included artwork and exceptional furnishings. Jean-Baptiste spoke English, French, Spanish,

and several Native American dialects, which helped him to conduct business.

The trader's fortune changed at the end of the eighteenth century. Although historical sources are scarce, both his son and his wife passed away; Kitihawa perished before 1800, and his son at an unknown date. In 1800, Jean-Baptiste entered an agreement to sell his Chicago homesite to an agent representing John Kinzie, Kinzie a fur trader from Quebec who was influential among the Native Americans around the Great Lakes. The relationships between the tribes and the settlers were complex as numerous settlers moved westward into the area, which could have factored into Jean-Baptiste's decision to leave Chicago. The onset of the War of 1812 included skirmishes between American settlers and Native Americans, including the Battle of Ft. Dearborn in Chicago. John Kinzie is recognized as the first non-indigenous settler of European descent to have settled in Chicago. (His son, John H. Kinzie, also played a historical role there, as he was an Indian agent who was married to Juliette Kinzie, author of Wau-bun: the Early Day in the North West.) Several buildings were part of the DuSable homesite, including a log cabin, two barns, a bakery, dairy, smokehouse, mill, and poultry house. (See below illustration of this homestead after its purchase by John Kinzie, with Fort Dearborn in the background.)

 Jean Baptiste moved to Peoria, and then to St. Charles, Missouri where he held a license to operate a ferry across the Missouri River. His prosperity did not continue at this location, however; he eventually became ill and made an arrangement with a friend and neighbor, Eulalie Barada, to transfer title of his property to her in exchange for food, care, repairs to his shelter, and a Catholic burial. He passed away at the age of 73, and was buried at St. Charles Borromeo Cemetery in an unmarked grave. A granite marker was later placed at the approximate location of his original burial site.

Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable's historical recognition as the founder of Chicago did not occur quickly, possibly because the rapid growth of Chicago as a settlement began after the conclusion of the Black Hawk War in 1832. However, he was undoubtedly the first non-native settler to establish a homesite and begin an enterprise at the heart of the future site of the city of Chicago. Born in present-day Haiti to a French man and an African-Caribbean woman, he was never enslaved and never owned a slave. He married and had children with a native American woman who also contributed to their trading enterprise. Eventually, a school, park, harbor, bridge, and museum were named after him. In 2021, the city's famous Lake Shore Drive was renamed DuSable Lake Shore Drive in recognition of Jean Baptiste. Most recently, artist Erik Blome paid tribute to Jean-Baptiste by creating a sculpture that reflects the diversity of Chicago that will be

continuously relocated to educate people about the unique history of this area.

Sue Devick, M.A.