[6] During the War of 1812, Rolette, like many other French-Canadian fur traders in the Old Northwest, was an active supporter of the British Empire against the United States.
Canadian fur traders on the other side of the border were no longer granted licenses by the US government and were cut off from many of their clients.
[6] However, in 1826, Rolette's authority began to wane as Hercules L. Dousman arrived in Prairie du Chien to work for the American Fur Company.
The two operated as equal partners for some time, but Dousman slowly came to rise past Rolette in the business.
In 1836, Jane Fisher Rolette became the first woman in Wisconsin Territory to file for divorce, but she backed off and settled for a legal separation instead.
[7] As part of the separation contract, Joseph Rolette agreed to construct his wife a two-story stone house on the riverfront in Prairie du Chien.
In the Panic of 1837, Rolette lost significant wealth and became indebted to Dousman and the American Fur Company.