History: Jean Baptiste, the Black Chief, was a 'father' of Chicago

Tuesday, August 9, 2011  

""The first white man to settle in Chicago was black." That was a popular witticism around town in the 1930s, and it says a lot about the attitudes of the time. Of course, the person referred to was Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable.

DuSable was the first non-indigenous resident of our area. We know that. But much of the historical record is fuzzy. Even his name has different versions, such as "au Sable" or "de Saible." Nor do we have any real idea of his physical appearance, except that he was a big man.

He was born in Santa Domingo (Haiti) around 1745. His father was a French sailor--some sources say a pirate--and his mother an enslaved African. According to legend, when Jean Baptiste's mother was killed during a Spanish raid, the boy swam out to his father's ship to take refuge. After that, the older DuSable took his son to France to be educated.

Along with a friend, Jean Baptiste arrived in New Orleans in 1764. The two young men became traders, journeying up the Mississippi and through the Midwest as far as present-day Michigan. During this time, DuSable married a Potawatomie woman and became a member of the tribe. The Potawatomie called him the "Black Chief.""

Get the Story:
John R. Schmidt / Chicago History Today: The Father of Chicago: Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable (WBEZ 8/8)