Join us to see two connected exhibits focused on slavery. Slavery in St. Louis is a traveling exhibit created by the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. The Freedom Suits is an exhibit created for the Law Library by the Missouri State Archives-St. Louis. Both are on view at the Law Library Associaton of St. Louis, 10 N. Tucker Blvd., 13th Floor (in the Civil Courts Building, between Market and Chestnut Streets). Normal viewing hours for the exhibits are Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. For more information or to arrange a group tour, contact Gail Wechsler at gwechsler@llastl.org or call 314-622-4470.
The Slavery in St. Louis exhibit explores the growth of slavery in St. Louis in the context of the politics, economics, and history of the area during the 18th and 19th centuries. This exhibit uses primary sources, historical artifacts, and individual accounts of enslaved persons to illustrate the history of slavery in St. Louis.
The Freedom Suits exhibit will include original, rarely-seen court pleadings of three different types of claims made by enslaved people seeking their freedom. The exhibit also will include explanatory panels about
(1) Freedom suits in general – what were they and how did they work in the context of slavery in Missouri
(2) Freedom suits in St. Louis – highlights some of the freedom suits in St. Louis within the context of slavery in St. Louis
(3) Freedom suits in other parts of Missouri – highlights 20+ freedom suits from other parts of the state
Connected events:
Meet and Greet the Judges, September 12th, 4:00 - 6:00 pm in the Law Library. It is an informal opportunity to meet with judges in the St. Louis community and view the exhibits. Please RSVP here.
Lunchtime Talk and Tour, September 26, 12:30 to 1:30 PM in the Law Library--with Nick Sacco of the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site and Washington University Professor of African and African-American Studies Kelly Schmidt. Please RSVP here.
CLES: We have two upcoming CLEs related to the exhibit.
In October, Judge Christopher Cross speaks on the history of racial injustice in America and the hope created by emancipation, the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, and Reconstruction. For more details on the October 16 CLE click here.
In December, learn more from historian and author Dorris Keeven-Franke about the issue of Confiscation and Contraband during the Civil War, as demonstrated by the case of Archer Alexander, a freedom seeker buried in St. Louis. For more on the December 4 CLE, click here.
Presenting sponsors:
Law Library Association of St. Louis
The Freedom Suits Memorial Foundation
Additional sponsors
Gold sponsors:
AJ Legal Services LLC
Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC
Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
Brown & James Law Firm
Dowd Bennett
Husch Blackwell
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
Lexitas
Thompson Coburn LLP
Bronze sponsors:
Thomas and Sara Neill
The Slavery in St. Louis exhibit runs from Tuesday September 3 through Tuesday October 1, 2024. The Freedom Suits exhibit runs from Tuesday September 3 through Tuesday December 3, 2024.
For more information and for sponsorship opportunities, contact Library Director Gail Wechsler at gwechsler@llastl.org or 314-622-4470.