Jean Pierre Chouteau

Who was Jean Pierre Chouteau?

Jean Pierre Chouteau was a French creole fur trader, merchant, politician and slaveholder. An early settler of St. Louis, Missouri from New Orleans, he became one its most prominent citizens. He and his brother Auguste Chouteau, known as the "river barons", negotiated the many political changes as the city changed from Spanish rule to becoming part of the United States. They continued to create political alliances with numerous parties. For a long time, they held monopoly rights on the lucrative fur trade with the Osage, and expanded their businesses in St. Louis to many parts of the emerging economy. As US Indian agent, Chouteau negotiated the Osage Treaty of 1808 on behalf of the United States government, by which the Osage agreed to sell large portions of their lands in present-day Missouri and Arkansas in exchange for federal annuities.