Sunday, January 9, 2011: 11:20 AM
Room 201 (Hynes Convention Center)
The records of slaves' freedom suits in the antebellum St. Louis Circuit Court reveal how the proximity of St. Louis to the free state of Illinois created both opportunities and dangers for slaves and free people of color. Slaves in Missouri could run away to freedom in Illinois, although these individuals risked capture and reenslavement. Slaves could also base suits for freedom on time spent in Illinois, an argument that enjoyed some success before the courts. Ironically, slaveholders trying to avoid prosecution in freedom suits could also remove their slaves to Illinois. At the same time, free people of color living in Illinois endured restrictions on their liberty, and they also encountered the possibility of falling victim to kidnappers operating out of Missouri. These individuals sought recourse through the courts, and their struggles reveal the precarious nature of freedom in a “free” state, as well as the challenges faced by free people of color elsewhere during the antebellum years. This paper explores the relationship between the free state of Illinois and the slave state of Missouri to demonstrate the volatile nature of freedom in this border region.