St. Louis Under American Rule and the Missouri Question
Picture it: 1804, and St. Louis now belongs to a relatively new country, the United States of America.
Up until this point, the village had autonomy over all aspects of life. While governed under the French and Spanish in its infancy, neither government was hands-on in enforcing laws, so St. Louis was essentially self-governed.
St. Louisians were used to a way of life—a French Creole life based in Catholicism, French customs, peaceful relationships with local Native Americans, and what some might call a utopian society.
The settlement was steeped in French ways: the architecture, town layout, farming methods, and field allotments were reminiscent of medieval European villages.
The majority of St. Louisians were well-off from the fur trade and other industries, accustomed to a comfortable way of life.
The Louisiana Purchase and Its Impact
This was all about to change.
Enter Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase.
In a complicated transaction, ownership of the land that St. Louis occupied changed hands from Spain to France to the United States practically overnight.
By 1802, Spain controlled the lands west of the Mississippi but felt the land was unprofitable and ceded it secretly to France, with a condition to have first claims if France sold it.
Napoleon Bonaparte, leading France, needed money more than land due to war and rebellion, so in 1803, he sold the Louisiana Territory to the U.S., placing St. Louis under American control.
Cultural Clash and Misunderstanding
The transition from a prosperous French village to a city under American rule was difficult.
Americans had an attitude toward the Western frontier, assuming it was backward and unsophisticated, but St. Louis was a wealthy, cultured city with elite families living opulent lifestyles.
Merchants enjoyed fine wines, coaches, elegant homes, personal libraries, European education, and imported goods.
St. Louis had its own legal system, social norms, and strong Native American relations—none of which the Americans fully appreciated.
Meeting the New American Leadership
The first American commander in St. Louis, Amos Stoddard, was shocked to find a civilized, cultured town rivaling East Coast cities.
He met with local leaders August Chouteau and Charles Gratiot, who voiced concerns over land grant recognition, slavery laws, fur trade continuity, and relations with Native Americans.
Stoddard’s role was temporary—to pacify St. Louisians and assure a smooth transition.
The U.S. government split Louisiana Territory into Upper and Lower sections, with St. Louis in the Upper.
Legal and Political Changes
Congress outlawed foreign slave trade, authorized settlement by Americans, and nullified Spanish land grants after 1800, disrupting established norms.
In 1804, Indiana Territory’s Governor William Henry Harrison and judges arrived, appointing local officials to manage governance.
A petition to Congress opposed many of the new policies, citing violations of treaty rights and lack of self-government.
Congress, however, believed French Creoles did not understand republican principles, limiting their rights.
As a result, governance was established with appointed officials, courts, and a legal system enforcing trial by jury.
Native American Relations
Jefferson envisioned expanding liberty across the West but targeted Native Americans for removal or relocation.
Trade with the Osage tribe was suspended, forcing them to Fort Osage under U.S. control.
The Chouteau family, longtime mediators with Native Americans, were pressed into U.S. negotiations and fur trade ventures, maintaining some economic success.
Commons and Property Rights
Previously, land commons were shared by the community with seasonal farming rights, a concept alien to the American legal system.
New laws recognized individual ownership only if farming could be proven before 1800, leading to fragmented property ownership.
By 1850, the traditional commons ceased to exist; Lafayette Park preserves some of this legacy.
Legal System Evolution and Social Changes
St. Louis’ informal colonial legal system was based on custom and community arbitration, frustrating American officials who imposed formal government laws.
New sub-districts and offices were created, and conflicts arose over lawmaking—French Creoles favored law from tradition; Americans favored top-down legislation.
Population Growth and Challenges
St. Louis grew rapidly as Americans migrated westward, bringing new social behaviors and sometimes violent public disorder.
In 1809, St. Louis was incorporated, establishing a board of trustees and forming volunteer patrols and fire companies.
Missouri Statehood and the Slavery Debate
Missouri’s population growth prompted petitions for statehood.
In 1819, debates in Congress arose over slavery’s expansion, leading to the Missouri Compromise in 1820, which admitted Missouri as a slave state balanced by Maine as a free state.
This compromise restricted slavery north of the 36+1/2 parallel except in Missouri.
Missouri’s Early Government
The Missouri Constitutional Convention met in 1820, adopting the constitution and designating St. Charles as temporary capital.
Missouri became a state on August 10, 1821.
St. Louis was incorporated as a city in 1822, expanding and modernizing under its first mayor, William Carr Lane.
French colonial influence faded as English street names replaced French, and new building styles emerged.
Conclusion
St. Louis underwent profound transformations—political, social, and cultural—as it transitioned from a French Creole village to an American city and border state shaped by the slavery debate and westward expansion.
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Until next time, I’ll see you in the Lou.