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Black History and Blacks in U.S. History
Colonial America (1492-1765)

Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable - Father of Chicago

Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable - Father of Chicago
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 4 to 5
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   5.37

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    penniless, sketchy, smokehouse, well-established, successful, priest, slavery, seaman, wealthy, northeast, early, loyalty, entire, saying, childhood, region
     content words:    Jean Baptiste DuSable, New Orleans, Mississippi River, Potawatomi Indians, Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, Fort Mackinac, Chigago River, Chicago Tribune Tower, Fort Dearborn

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Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable - Father of Chicago
By Jane Runyon 		  
1     The early family life of Jean Baptiste DuSable is a little sketchy. Not much is known of his birth or childhood. It is believed that he was born around 1745 as a free black. His father was a French seaman. His mother is believed to have been an African born slave living in Haiti.
 
2     DuSable's father took him to France at an early age. He was well educated. He was introduced to culture while in France. He worked on his father's ships. He was eager to learn all he could. He loved European art. He learned several different languages. He could speak French, English, Spanish, and several Indian dialects.
 
3     When DuSable was twenty years old, he made a voyage to New Orleans. He was badly injured on this journey. He had a surprise when he arrived in New Orleans. He found that the French city had been taken over by the Spanish. A group of French priests hid DuSable from the Spanish. He would have been sold into slavery had he been found.

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