Jean Pierre Chouteau was a French-Canadian fur trader, merchant, politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 and slaveholder. An early settler of St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

, 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.