Missouri History Museum

Bill Glanker discusses the challenges of uncovering the antebellum African American past due to the general lack of reliable primary source material.  Circuit and probate court records, readily available but normally overlooked, provide useful insights into the lives of slaves and free blacks in Missouri.  Stories and information contained in court records from Franklin, Lincoln, and St. Charles counties demonstrate how the antebellum "black voice" can begin to be recovered.

PLEASE NOTE: The February St. Louis African American History and Genealogy Workshop will be held at Harris-Stowe University.  Visit www.stl-aahgs.com for more information.