In the 1720's, French lead miners like Philippe Renault brought the first African-American slaves to Missouri. The tradition of slave-holding continued in Missouri (and the United States) until the Civil War. Between the 1720's and the 1860's, African-Americans led lives that were inconspicuous to history – as slaves, they were seldom able to record their activities, and free African-Americans were routinely persecuted. Accordingly, the details of the lives of the vast majority of individual African-Americans are largely unknown. However, there is some record of what African-Americans in Missouri did, how they were treated, and how they lived during this pre-Civil War period.
Although Missouri had the second fewest slaves (of the slave states) in the U.S., the vast majority (more than 99%) of Missouri's African-American residents were slaves – indeed, blacks were presumed to be slaves by the law unless they could produce papers proving otherwise. The presence of free blacks were seen as a disruptive by many Missourians – Missouri's first Constitution intended to restrict the presence of free blacks and mulattoes. Although Missouri's government had promised not to enforce this restriction in the Second Missouri Compromise, it banned free blacks from coming to the state in 1847.
The free blacks that were in Missouri were subject to a number of legal sanctions. In addition to not being able to vote or hold office, they were forbidden from testifying against a white person in court, were generally forbidden from keeping and bearing arms, were not provided with legal counsel when imprisoned, and it was against the law for them to attend school or be educated. In spite of these restrictions, Missouri's free blacks did lead memorable lives. Many found work as barbers, some as seamstresses, and others as workers for river operations. A minister, John Berry Meachum, circumvented Missouri's laws against school for blacks by operating his “Freedom School” on federal property – on a boat in the Mississippi River. His schoolhouse was not the only one in operation; several religious institutions provided under-the-table education services to blacks.
Although the “free” African-Americans suffered as a result of the restrictions imposed on them, black slaves were persecuted even more. Under Missouri's Constitution, slaves were the property of their owners. In addition to being subject to all the restrictions free blacks were, slaves also forbidden from owning property, drinking alcohol, or assembling peacefully. The punishments for breaking laws were much harsher for slaves than others – even small offenses were punished by whippings, larger ones often by death. Many were often “sold South” for alleged bad behavior, separated from their families, and forced to do hard labor in other slave states in the South.
As property, slaves were compelled to do whatever work was assigned to them by their owners. Although Missouri did not have large plantations with large slave populations like the South did, many slaves worked on farms. Most of these farms produced hemp or tobacco. Slaves had to plant the seeds, tend the fields while the plants grew, and then harvest and process the useful portion of the plant – a cycle that took all year. The slaves who did not work on farms often practiced a skill like carpentry or did housework for their owners. The conditions under which they worked varied widely – some owners worked alongside their slaves to do farm work and housework, whereas others merely supervised their slaves work, often delegating the role of “driver” to one of the slaves. Oftentimes, if an owner had more slaves than he needed to do his own work, he would “hire out” some of his slaves to do work for other whites.
Like working conditions, living conditions varied as well. Some slaves who worked as servants lived in their owners' houses, but most lived nearby in a separate structure that was always smaller and less comfortable. Slaves who worked on farms usually subsisted on the products of the farm. Pork and fish were common in slave diets, as were typical Missouri crops like corn, what, rice, and beans. Slaves who had good relationships with their owners might be given other foods that could be purchased off the farm; master-slave relationships were different from one owner to the next. Some owners considered their slaves as part of their family, whereas others were quick to use a whip to solve any perceived dispute. As described above, slaves had no legal standing, so masters could often assault and even kill their slaves with impunity. Owners always had the option of hiring out, trading, or selling a slave, so slave families were constantly at risk of being broken up.
Most slaves worked all day on every day but Sunday. Like other Americans, they spent their leisure time with their families by hunting and fishing, playing games, and going to church functions. Religion was a large part of many slaves' lives. Some went to the same church as their owner, and, when allowed, some were part of their own congregations. The religious services slaves attended are often described as being very musical, focusing on singing and praying. If given the chance, some slaves participated in revivals that lasted several days. These revivals allowed slaves to spend time with friends and family. During other gatherings, slaves would make community quilts or hold dances.
It is difficult to accurately “describe the lives” of any diverse group of individuals, and especially difficult to understand how African-Americans in the antebellum U.S. The legal prohibition on black education largely prevented individuals recording their lives, so historians must rely on the accounts of the few who were able to tell their stories, on the accounts of white outsiders, and on records of the legal and social environment in which African-Americans lived.