Editing John Kinzie (section)

==War of 1812==
After American citizens built [[Fort Dearborn]], Kinzie's influence and reputation rose in the area; he was useful because of his relationship with the Native Americans. The War of 1812 began between Great Britain and the United States, and tensions rose on the northern frontier.

In June 1812, Kinzie killed [[Jean La Lime]], who worked as an interpreter at Fort Dearborn. He fled to [[Milwaukee]], then in Indian territory.<ref>{{cite book | last = Pierce | first = Bessie Louise | title = A History of Chicago, Vol. I: The Beginning of a City 1673-1848 | publisher = University of Chicago Press | year = 1937 | location = Chicago | pages = 21}}</ref> While in Milwaukee, he met with pro-British Indians who were planning attacks on American settlements, including Chicago. Historians speculate that La Lime may have been informed on corruption related to purchasing supplies within the fort and thus been silenced. The case has been called "Chicago's first murder."<ref name="murder"/> It has been also proposed the Kinzie attempted to cover up his family's early real estate transactions, substituting Francis May as the original owner (who died after eating at the son's [James] home).

Although worried that Chicago would be on heightened alert,  a force of as many as 500 Indians attacked the small garrison of soldiers, their support, and their families near the current intersection of 18th and Calumet, as they fled south along the lakeshore after evacuated the Fort. The Fort Dearborn attack took place on August 15, 1812, and left 53 dead, including women and children. Kinzie and his family, aided by  Potawatomi Indians led by Billy Caldwell, escaped unharmed and returned to Detroit.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.earlychicago.com/chron.php|title = Home}}</ref> Identifying as a [[United Kingdom|British]] subject, Kinzie had a strong anti-American streak.

In 1813, the British arrested Kinzie and Jean Baptiste Chardonnay, also then living in Detroit, charging them with treason. They were accused of having corresponded with the enemy (the American General [[William Henry Harrison|Harrison]]'s army) while supplying gunpowder to chief [[Tecumseh]]'s Indian forces, who were fighting alongside the British. Chardonnay escaped, but Kinzie was imprisoned on a ship for transport to England. When the ship was put into port in [[Nova Scotia]] to weather a storm, Kinzie escaped. He returned to American-held Detroit by 1814.

Although he had previously been a British subject, Kinzie switched to the United States. He returned to Chicago with his family in 1816 and lived there until his death in 1828.

During the 1820s, Kinzie served as a [[justice of the peace]] for the newly created [[Pike County, Illinois|Pike County]],<ref name=history>'' History of Pike County Illinois''.  [[Chicago]]: Chapman, 1880.</ref>{{rp|254}} which at the time extended from the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan.<ref name=history />{{rp|248}}