Edited with an introduction by Louis S. Gerteis, St. Louis from Village to Metropolis is an anthology of previously published Missouri Historical Review articles. Readers interested in the ways that St. Louis transformed itself from the Mound City to the Gateway City will enjoy this collection of essays.
Explore the history of St. Louis as it transitioned from the Mound City to the Gateway City. Immigrants, domestic and foreign arrived seeking new freedoms and economic opportunity. Sectional differences exacerbated disputes and slowed progress. Racial tensions rose and fell as blacks and whites struggled with slavery, segregation, and civil rights. Nineteenth- and twentieth-century wars restricted personal rights and, incongruously, enabled African Americans and women to gain a toehold in fields formerly closed to them. Urban residents found recreational opportunities both within the city and in the adjacent rural areas.
During the first century of the Missouri Historical Review, distinguished historians explored the growth of St. Louis from a colonial village to a regional metropolis by examining episodes in its economic, social, and political life. Louis Gerteis, professor of history at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, brings together fourteen of these essays in this volume. And in a thoughtful and well-crafted introduction, this urban historian ties together the diverse essays, finding that all contribute to a common theme of metropolitan growth and identity.
About the Editor
Louis S. Gerteis is a professor of history at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is a leading scholar in the study of St. Louis history, particularly that of the nineteenth century. His publications include From Contraband to Freedman: Federal Policy Toward Southern Blacks: 1861-1865 (1973), Morality and Utility in American Antislavery Reform (1987), and Civil War St. Louis (2001) in addition to numerous scholarly articles.
Published by the State Historical Society and Lindenwood University Press, 2009. 275 pages. 101 illustrations.