The famous Black abolitionist William Wells Brown once remarked that "no part of our slave-holding country is more noted for the barbarity of its inhabitants than St. Louis." Companion physical and digital exhibits by the NPS tell the story of slavery in St. Louis through the use of primary source documents, historic images, and individual stories of enslavement, from the founding of St. Louis in 1764 to the Reconstruction era.
The famous Black abolitionist William Wells Brown once remarked that "no part of our slave-holding country is more noted for the barbarity of its inhabitants than St. Louis." Companion physical and digital exhibits by the NPS tell the story of slavery in St. Louis through the use of primary source documents, historic images, and individual stories of enslavement, from the founding of St. Louis in 1764 to the Reconstruction era.