St. Louis In Context: 1850's

     As the nineteenth century drew to a close, St. Louis would rise to become the nation's fourth largest city.  As a major city in Missouri, St. Louis had a significant slave population, by 1850 there were 2,656 slaves, 1,398 free blacks, all while the total population for the city was 77,860 (Ravenswaay 394).  The wealth and power of the free blacks within the black community was a sharp contrast to the lives of those still within the bounds of slavery.  At this time a large influx of German, Irish and other European immigrants was flooding the labor market of St. Louis.  Soon the slave market was exceeding the labor needs of the city, allowing St. Louis to rise as a major slave market.  However those running the markets were faced with public disgust and became social outcasts (401).  There were legal avenues that slaves were able to pursue to purchase their freedom and win it in court leading to the defining Dredd Scott case.  The Scott case gained national attention as it exemplified the bitter disputes about slavery that were dividing the country.  The 1850's was a time of uncertainty and change for St. Louisans, who began to rebuild after a devastating 1849 fire.  The commercial centers were rebuilt, and new elegant buildings and streets were emerging from the ashes (412).  As the economy grew, so did the city limits.  The city's main economic draw was its booming industry and as a major port on the Mississippi River, the very heart of trade through the country.  Immigrant populations continued to grow in great numbers as German, Irish, Italian, Bohemian, and other European settlers made their home in the city.  This allowed the city to develop unique communities and social circles revolving around connecting fellow immigrants together and keeping the culture alive in their new homeland.