René Auguste Chouteau
Encyclopedia
Rene Auguste Chouteau also known as Auguste Chouteau, was founder of St. Louis, Missouri
, a successful fur trader and a politician. He and his partner had a monopoly for many years of fur trade with the large Osage tribe on the Missouri River. In addition, he had numerous business interests in St. Louis and was well-connected with the various rulers: French, Spanish and American.
in September 1723, and was nearly ten years older than Bourgeois. Auguste Chouteau was the only child of Marie-Therese and Rene, born in either September 1749 or September 1750. The elder Chouteau purportedly abused Marie Therese, resulting in her return to the convent (along with her son, Auguste Chouteau) where she had lived prior to her marriage.
By 1758, Marie Therese (known as Madame Chouteau or Widow Chouteau) had met and began living with Pierre de Laclede Liguest (commonly known as Laclede) in a common-law marriage
. Kieran Doherty suggests that Laclede informally adopted Auguste Chouteau, providing him with an education in one of the Catholic schools of New Orleans. Regardless of whether formal education was provided Chouteau, it was clear that by his early teens, he had a respect for learning and some form of education (possibly under the direct tutelage of Laclede). By the early 1760s, Chouteau worked as an assistant in obtaining supplies for Laclede's partnership business with Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent
.
. They began buying supplies in early 1763, and on July 6, 1763, they obtained the necessary license from the French territorial government to trade with the Native Americans (primarily those living near the Missouri River). Starting in August 1763, Chouteau, Laclede and some 30 other men traveled upriver from New Orleans to Ste. Genevieve with trade goods. By November, the group arrived at Ste. Genevieve, but Laclede found that the village did not have adequate storage for his goods. As it had been settled near the riverbank on bottomland, Laclede "deemed the location insalubrious" for his business. (After repeated flooding, in the 1780s the residents relocated Ste. Genevieve upriver and inland to higher ground.)
The French garrison just across the river at Fort de Chartres
agreed to store the goods until the British arrived. (Following the Seven Years War, the French conceded their territory and installations to the victorious British. The fort was to be turned over to the British according to the Treaty of Paris (1763)
. The commandant of Illinois, Pierre-Joseph Neyon de Villiers, suggested French settlers should relocate from the Illinois Country to New Orleans. (He thought it would be under French control, as he did not know of the Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762)
to give control of the area west of the Mississippi to the Spanish). Because of the postwar upheaval, "instead of just establishing a trading post at the mouth of the Missouri, [Laclede] would create an entire community." Laclede believed he could convince many French to move to the west bank of the Mississppi at his new settlement. He planned to store the goods until spring, and then have Chouteau and his team build the trading post at the site they selected in December 1763. As Chouteau wrote, Laclede said, "You will come here as soon as navigation opens, and will cause this place to be cleared, in order to form our settlement after the plan that I shall give you."
In the late winter, Chouteau fitted out a boat and led a party of 30 men across the river, where they landed on February 14, 1764. The next day, February 15, Chouteau directed the men to start clearing and founded the European city of St. Louis. (It was on a site long occupied by indigenous
tribes, as demonstrated by the numerous massive earthwork mounds
left from the Mississippian culture
of the 9th-12th century.)
Laclede was at Fort de Chartres until early April, recruiting French settlers from the east side villages. Because of a large migrating band of Osage, Laclede went to St. Louis to negotiate their departure from the fledgling post. Within months, Laclede had built a home for his common-law wife Marie Therese, who traveled to the outpost from New Orleans, arriving in September 1764. Auguste Chouteau lived here until his death. In addition to Auguste, Marie Therese had an additional four children (by Pierre Laclede, but under the surname of Chouteau). Among these four were three girls and a boy, Jean Pierre Chouteau
, who later became a partner with Auguste in business and politics.
After Laclede's death in 1778, Chouteau took over the business of trading, adding greatly to the family fortunes. He quickly expanded the business to include agricultural properties, and banking, and owned the first grist mill in St. Louis. Chouteau played a significant role in the growth of other, outlying towns, such as St. Charles, Missouri.
Chouteau also remained on good terms with the Spanish government in St. Louis. In 1780, Chouteau played a small role in the Battle of St. Louis, in which the village was defended against a British-led Native American attack. Chouteau negotiated with the Spanish government for greater defense of the city, and for his efforts was commissioned a captain and later a colonel.
tribes. His efforts to maintain peace and promote trade led him to establish (along with his brother, Pierre) numerous trading forts along the Missouri River
.
His relationship with the Osage Nation
became particularly important when, in 1787, the Spanish governor Esteban Miro ordered an end to trade with the Osage and began to prepare for war against them as a result of fighting between Osage and European settlers. Although the government continued its ban on trade with the Osage, Chouteau was able to defuse a conflict between Osage and Spanish-armed settlers through his intervention with Miro. In spite of continuing problems between the Osage and the Spanish government, Chouteau maintained good relations with the tribe. Although the trade ban was lifted in 1791, problems continued among Mississippi tribes and the settlers, including horse theft and threatened attack on an Osage delegation in St. Louis by rival tribes of Sac, Fox, Kickapoo, Mascouten and Winnebago warriors.
In 1793, these problems culminated in an order from the Spanish Governor General Francisco Luis Hector de Carondelet
, in which all trade between settlers and tribes was to cease. Hector also ordered a military expedition against the Osage and other tribes. However, Hector was persuaded toward peace by an Osage delegation led by Chouteau to New Orleans in the spring of 1794. To convince Hector of peace, Chouteau promised a military fort built among the Osage at his own expense. In return, Chouteau was given a six-year monopoly on trade along the Osage River
.After its construction in 1795, Fort Carondelet
, although acting as a military base, was in practice a trading post for the Chouteau family. The fort also served as home to Chouteau's nephews, who gained valuable experience as traders. Through contacts at this post, Chouteau also negotiated construction of a second trading post among the Osage, located on the Verdigris River
in eastern Kansas from 1795-1797.
However, in 1799, new Spanish Governor General Manuel María de Salcedo
began favoring a Spanish businessman instead of the Chouteau fur operation. Fort Carondelet was sold to the Spanish firm, but Chouteau continued trade with the Osage on the Verdigris. Yet the Spanish competition was short-lived, as the Louisiana Territory was transferred first to France in 1800, then the United States in 1803. Late that year, Chouteau provided valuable information to the Lewis and Clark Expedition
about the population of the Louisiana territory, along with observations of wildlife and local villages. In early 1804, Lewis and Clark purchased materials from Chouteau's trading house in St. Louis, and on March 9, 1804, Chouteau hosted the new American commander of the Upper Louisiana during the transfer ceremonies for the Louisiana Purchase
. For this, Chouteau was rewarded with a return to his monopoly on trade with the tribes by the United States. From 1806 to 1815, Chouteau continued leading family fur trade business, eventually negotiating part of the Treaties of Portage des Sioux
in 1815 after the War of 1812
. In 1816, Auguste Chouteau retired from his trading businesses. Still active in Indian issues in 1817, Chouteau served as a U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs with William Clark in the first U.S. treaty with the Ponca
tribe.
.
Auguste Chouteau never left the St. Louis area (although he had numerous lengthy trading journeys up the Missouri to his outer posts and to trade with the Indians.) He married Marie Therese Cerre on September 21, 1786 at the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France
(then a vertical-log church, not the current church on the site). The marriage united members of the two leading St. Louis families; it also appears to have been a happy one. (It is possible that Chouteau had relations with Native American women while on lengthy trading expeditions, but that was considered customary behavior at that time.) They were renowned for their hospitality, which helped strengthen his political position in the city and region.
Chouteau died February 24, 1829. His remains were interred first at the burial grounds near the Basilica of St. Louis, but were reinterred at Calvary Cemetery
. After his death, 22 of his 36 slaves were sold at probate, providing $10,838.88 in proceeds, half of which was provided to his wife, with the other half being divided equally among their seven children.
Children of Rene Auguste Chouteau and Marie Therese Cerre:
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...
, a successful fur trader and a politician. He and his partner had a monopoly for many years of fur trade with the large Osage tribe on the Missouri River. In addition, he had numerous business interests in St. Louis and was well-connected with the various rulers: French, Spanish and American.
Early life and education
On September 20, 1748, Marie-Thérèse Bourgeois married René Auguste Chouteau, who had recently immigrated from France to Louisiana. Rene Chouteau was described as an innkeeper, liquor dealer, and pastry chef. He was born in the village of L'HermenaultL'Hermenault
L'Hermenault is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-References:*...
in September 1723, and was nearly ten years older than Bourgeois. Auguste Chouteau was the only child of Marie-Therese and Rene, born in either September 1749 or September 1750. The elder Chouteau purportedly abused Marie Therese, resulting in her return to the convent (along with her son, Auguste Chouteau) where she had lived prior to her marriage.
By 1758, Marie Therese (known as Madame Chouteau or Widow Chouteau) had met and began living with Pierre de Laclede Liguest (commonly known as Laclede) in a common-law marriage
Common-law marriage
Common-law marriage, sometimes called sui juris marriage, informal marriage or marriage by habit and repute, is a form of interpersonal status that is legally recognized in limited jurisdictions as a marriage even though no legally recognized marriage ceremony is performed or civil marriage...
. Kieran Doherty suggests that Laclede informally adopted Auguste Chouteau, providing him with an education in one of the Catholic schools of New Orleans. Regardless of whether formal education was provided Chouteau, it was clear that by his early teens, he had a respect for learning and some form of education (possibly under the direct tutelage of Laclede). By the early 1760s, Chouteau worked as an assistant in obtaining supplies for Laclede's partnership business with Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent
Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent
Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent was a merchant and military officer who played a major role in development of the Louisiana Territory during its era as New France and New Spain....
.
Settlement of St. Louis
Maxent and Laclede formed a partnership in the early 1760s to build a French trading post on the west bank of the Mississippi River north of the village of Ste. Genevieve, MissouriSte. Genevieve, Missouri
Ste. Genevieve is a city in and the county seat of Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,654 at the 2000 census...
. They began buying supplies in early 1763, and on July 6, 1763, they obtained the necessary license from the French territorial government to trade with the Native Americans (primarily those living near the Missouri River). Starting in August 1763, Chouteau, Laclede and some 30 other men traveled upriver from New Orleans to Ste. Genevieve with trade goods. By November, the group arrived at Ste. Genevieve, but Laclede found that the village did not have adequate storage for his goods. As it had been settled near the riverbank on bottomland, Laclede "deemed the location insalubrious" for his business. (After repeated flooding, in the 1780s the residents relocated Ste. Genevieve upriver and inland to higher ground.)
The French garrison just across the river at Fort de Chartres
Fort de Chartres
Fort de Chartres was a French fortification first built in 1720 on the east bank of the Mississippi River in present-day Illinois. The Fort de Chartres name was also applied to the two successive fortifications built nearby during the 18th century in the era of French colonial control over...
agreed to store the goods until the British arrived. (Following the Seven Years War, the French conceded their territory and installations to the victorious British. The fort was to be turned over to the British according to the Treaty of Paris (1763)
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
. The commandant of Illinois, Pierre-Joseph Neyon de Villiers, suggested French settlers should relocate from the Illinois Country to New Orleans. (He thought it would be under French control, as he did not know of the Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762)
Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762)
The Treaty of Fontainebleau was a secret agreement in which France ceded Louisiana to Spain. The treaty followed the last battle in the French and Indian War, the Battle of Signal Hill in September 1762, which confirmed British control of Canada. However, the associated Seven Years War continued...
to give control of the area west of the Mississippi to the Spanish). Because of the postwar upheaval, "instead of just establishing a trading post at the mouth of the Missouri, [Laclede] would create an entire community." Laclede believed he could convince many French to move to the west bank of the Mississppi at his new settlement. He planned to store the goods until spring, and then have Chouteau and his team build the trading post at the site they selected in December 1763. As Chouteau wrote, Laclede said, "You will come here as soon as navigation opens, and will cause this place to be cleared, in order to form our settlement after the plan that I shall give you."
In the late winter, Chouteau fitted out a boat and led a party of 30 men across the river, where they landed on February 14, 1764. The next day, February 15, Chouteau directed the men to start clearing and founded the European city of St. Louis. (It was on a site long occupied by indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
tribes, as demonstrated by the numerous massive earthwork mounds
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
left from the Mississippian culture
Mississippian culture
The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American culture that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 800 CE to 1500 CE, varying regionally....
of the 9th-12th century.)
Laclede was at Fort de Chartres until early April, recruiting French settlers from the east side villages. Because of a large migrating band of Osage, Laclede went to St. Louis to negotiate their departure from the fledgling post. Within months, Laclede had built a home for his common-law wife Marie Therese, who traveled to the outpost from New Orleans, arriving in September 1764. Auguste Chouteau lived here until his death. In addition to Auguste, Marie Therese had an additional four children (by Pierre Laclede, but under the surname of Chouteau). Among these four were three girls and a boy, Jean Pierre Chouteau
Jean Pierre Chouteau
Jean Pierre Chouteau was a French-Canadian fur trader, merchant, politician and slaveholder. An early settler of St. Louis, Missouri, 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...
, who later became a partner with Auguste in business and politics.
Chouteau also remained on good terms with the Spanish government in St. Louis. In 1780, Chouteau played a small role in the Battle of St. Louis, in which the village was defended against a British-led Native American attack. Chouteau negotiated with the Spanish government for greater defense of the city, and for his efforts was commissioned a captain and later a colonel.
Expansion of trade operations
In the early 1780s, Chouteau played a pivotal role in trade between the village and Native AmericanIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
tribes. His efforts to maintain peace and promote trade led him to establish (along with his brother, Pierre) numerous trading forts along the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
.
His relationship with the Osage Nation
Osage Nation
The Osage Nation is a Native American Siouan-language tribe in the United States that originated in the Ohio River valley in present-day Kentucky. After years of war with invading Iroquois, the Osage migrated west of the Mississippi River to their historic lands in present-day Arkansas, Missouri,...
became particularly important when, in 1787, the Spanish governor Esteban Miro ordered an end to trade with the Osage and began to prepare for war against them as a result of fighting between Osage and European settlers. Although the government continued its ban on trade with the Osage, Chouteau was able to defuse a conflict between Osage and Spanish-armed settlers through his intervention with Miro. In spite of continuing problems between the Osage and the Spanish government, Chouteau maintained good relations with the tribe. Although the trade ban was lifted in 1791, problems continued among Mississippi tribes and the settlers, including horse theft and threatened attack on an Osage delegation in St. Louis by rival tribes of Sac, Fox, Kickapoo, Mascouten and Winnebago warriors.
In 1793, these problems culminated in an order from the Spanish Governor General Francisco Luis Hector de Carondelet
Francisco Luis Hector de Carondelet
Francisco Luis Hector, barón de Carondelet was an administrator of Burgundian descent in the employ of the Spanish Empire. He was a Knight of Malta....
, in which all trade between settlers and tribes was to cease. Hector also ordered a military expedition against the Osage and other tribes. However, Hector was persuaded toward peace by an Osage delegation led by Chouteau to New Orleans in the spring of 1794. To convince Hector of peace, Chouteau promised a military fort built among the Osage at his own expense. In return, Chouteau was given a six-year monopoly on trade along the Osage River
Osage River
The Osage River is a tributary of the Missouri River in central Missouri in the United States. The Osage River is one of the larger rivers in Missouri. The river drains a mostly rural area of . The watershed includes an area of east-central Kansas and a large portion of west-central and central...
.After its construction in 1795, Fort Carondelet
Fort Carondelet
Fort Carondelet was a fort located along the Osage River in Vernon County, Missouri, constructed in 1795 as an early fur trading post in Spanish Louisiana by the Chouteau family. The fort also was used by the Spanish colonial government to maintain good relations with the Osage Nation. Sold by the...
, although acting as a military base, was in practice a trading post for the Chouteau family. The fort also served as home to Chouteau's nephews, who gained valuable experience as traders. Through contacts at this post, Chouteau also negotiated construction of a second trading post among the Osage, located on the Verdigris River
Verdigris River
The Verdigris River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. It is about long...
in eastern Kansas from 1795-1797.
However, in 1799, new Spanish Governor General Manuel María de Salcedo
Manuel María de Salcedo
Manuel María de Salcedo y Quiroga , Manuel María de Salcedo y Quiroga , Manuel María de Salcedo y Quiroga , (Malaga, Spain, (1776 - executed, 3 April 1813), was a governor of Spanish Texas from 1808 until his execution in 1813. Salcedo gained leadership experience helping his father Juan Manuel de...
began favoring a Spanish businessman instead of the Chouteau fur operation. Fort Carondelet was sold to the Spanish firm, but Chouteau continued trade with the Osage on the Verdigris. Yet the Spanish competition was short-lived, as the Louisiana Territory was transferred first to France in 1800, then the United States in 1803. Late that year, Chouteau provided valuable information to the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
about the population of the Louisiana territory, along with observations of wildlife and local villages. In early 1804, Lewis and Clark purchased materials from Chouteau's trading house in St. Louis, and on March 9, 1804, Chouteau hosted the new American commander of the Upper Louisiana during the transfer ceremonies for the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
. For this, Chouteau was rewarded with a return to his monopoly on trade with the tribes by the United States. From 1806 to 1815, Chouteau continued leading family fur trade business, eventually negotiating part of the Treaties of Portage des Sioux
Treaties of Portage des Sioux
The Treaties of Portage des Sioux were a series of treaties at Portage des Sioux, Missouri in 1815 that officially were supposed to mark the end of conflicts between the United States and Native Americans at the conclusion of the War of 1812....
in 1815 after the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. In 1816, Auguste Chouteau retired from his trading businesses. Still active in Indian issues in 1817, Chouteau served as a U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs with William Clark in the first U.S. treaty with the Ponca
Ponca
The Ponca are a Native American people of the Dhegihan branch of the Siouan-language group. There are two federally recognized Ponca tribes: the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma...
tribe.
Family and death
For more information on the Chouteau family and places named for the Chouteau family, see ChouteauChouteau
Chouteau was the name of a highly successful French fur-trading family based in St. Louis, Missouri, members of which established posts in the Midwest and Western United States...
.
Auguste Chouteau never left the St. Louis area (although he had numerous lengthy trading journeys up the Missouri to his outer posts and to trade with the Indians.) He married Marie Therese Cerre on September 21, 1786 at the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France
Basilica of St. Louis, King of France
The Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, formerly the Cathedral of Saint Louis, and colloquially the Old Cathedral, was the first cathedral west of the Mississippi River and until 1845 the only parish church in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. It is one of two Catholic basilicas in St...
(then a vertical-log church, not the current church on the site). The marriage united members of the two leading St. Louis families; it also appears to have been a happy one. (It is possible that Chouteau had relations with Native American women while on lengthy trading expeditions, but that was considered customary behavior at that time.) They were renowned for their hospitality, which helped strengthen his political position in the city and region.
Chouteau died February 24, 1829. His remains were interred first at the burial grounds near the Basilica of St. Louis, but were reinterred at Calvary Cemetery
Bellefontaine and Calvary Cemeteries
Bellefontaine Cemetery and the Roman Catholic Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri are adjacent burial grounds, which have numerous historic and extravagant tombstones and mausoleums. They are the necropolis for a number of prominent local and state politicians, as well as soldiers of the...
. After his death, 22 of his 36 slaves were sold at probate, providing $10,838.88 in proceeds, half of which was provided to his wife, with the other half being divided equally among their seven children.
Children of Rene Auguste Chouteau and Marie Therese Cerre:
- Auguste Aristide Chouteau (1792-1833), fur trader
- Gabriel Chouteau (1794-1887), served in War of 1812
- Eulalie Choutea (1799-1835), married Rene Paul, first surveyor of St. Louis
- Henry Chouteau (1805-1855), railroad executive, killed in Gasconade Bridge train disasterGasconade Bridge train disasterThe Gasconade Bridge train disaster was a rail accident at Gasconade, Missouri on November 1, 1855.At the time of the disaster, the Pacific Railroad was being built west from St. Louis toward the Pacific Ocean...
- Edward Chouteau (1807-1846), trader
- Louise Chouteau, married Gabriel Paul, brother of Rene and French chevalierChevalierChevalier is a class of membership in a French Order of Chivalry or order of merit.* a member of the Ordre National du Mérite* a rank in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres* a rank in the Legion d'honneur* a member of the Order of Palmes académiques...
- Emilie Chouteau, married Thomas Floyd, officer in the Black Hawk WarBlack Hawk WarThe Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
External links
- Jay Gitlin, "Constructing the House of Chouteau: Saint Louis", Common-Place, Vol. 3, No. 4
- Auguste Chouteau Collection, Mercantile Library, University of Missouri at St. Louis