8/4/2024 | Felix Vallé House State Historic Site | Ste. Genevieve, MO
"The History of Slavery in St. Louis" was developed by Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site park staff in consultation with an advisory panel of area historians and educators and is on loan to the Felix Vallé House State Historic Site from Aug. 1 through Sept. 1, 2024.
The institution of slavery existed in St. Louis for more than 100 years. Famous Black civil rights leaders such as William Wells Brown, Dred and Harriet Scott, and James Milton Turner were once enslaved in St. Louis. When the Civil War broke out, nearly 4,500 Black Americans were enslaved within the city's limits.
Using primary sources, historical artifacts and individual stories of enslavement, this exhibit aims to connect the growth of slavery with the political, economic and social history of the Gateway to the West during the 18th and 19th centuries.
“While many people are familiar with the story of Dred and Harriet Scott, the history of slavery's broader operation in St. Louis is less well-known," said Nathan Wilson, superintendent of Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. "This exhibit introduces visitors to our city's complicated relationship with slavery and asks us to consider how we should remember this history in the present. We hope the community joins us in using this exhibit to have an extended conversation about the history and memory of slavery in St. Louis."
The exhibit is free and open to the public, and there is no need to register. For more information, call the site office at 573-883-7102.
Exhibit dates and times: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, Aug. 1 - Sept. 1
Exhibit location: Shaw House, 200 Merchant St.
Associated activities
- Interpretive Programs