Trading Post in Early Chicago

A long, long time ago before Chicago was a city….

Today

There were no grocery stores, or Home Depots, or gas stations

1673

Tribes included● Potawatomi● Illinois● Fox● Miami● Kickapoo

Native Americans lived in the area for thousands of years

But… There were some explorers who paddled here in a canoe

A priest named Jacques Marquette and an explorer named Louis Jolliet paddledto the future site of Chicago

They were exploring the waterways and countryside

Jolliet wanted to make money

Marquette wanted to spread Christianity

A little over 100 years later, a Haitian man named DuSable arrived

1782 DuSable started a farm on the banks of the Chicago River

But he wasn’t the only one there!!

● Native Americans were already there● European fur trappers moved in after Jolliet

and Marquette

But how did they get the things they needed to survive?

A trading post!

In November will hold a mock trading post day in your classroom

Your role....You will become one of the community members● Native American● European settler● Fur trapper and trader

You will research to figure out more about yourself● How did you arrive in the area?● Why did you come?● What do you need to survive?● What can you trade with others to get what

you need?● How valuable to others are the things that

you have?

Geoffrey Baer on PBShttp://video.wttw.com/video/2365100005/

Southwest side at 5 minutes