Bondage and resistance in the land of lead: antebellum Upper Mississippi River Valley mineral country landscapes

Slaves and indentured servants in the Illinois–Wisconsin border region suffered manifold hazards in mining, building, transport, domestic, and hospitality realms of the lead economy. Their toils underpinned settlers’ survival and reputed hardiness as well as the region’s prosperity and growth. While local white abolitionist fiction emphasized secret, successful resistance, unfree people themselves pursued more public, mobile paths to freedom. Masters’ knowledge of and concerns about the landscape, combined with weak anti-slavery support, often impeded freedom and justice.