Little is known about his early life--when and where he was born, though he was of African-French descent. In 1773, Du Sable purchased 30 acres of land in what is now Chicago. He built a home and prospered with his Native American wife and children. Du Sable served as a British spy during the Revolutionary War, but later was jailed by the British because he was considered "too French." In 1780, he served as a liaison between Native Americans and white officials, appointed by the territorial governor. Two years later he returned to Chicago where he was a fur trapper and owned a trading post. He sold the post in 1800 and moved to Missouri.