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The first African American slaves in the Illinois Country were transported from New Orleans. Slaves in early Illinois were governed by the Code Noir, or Black Code, a law created by France in 1685 that defined slaves as personal property that could be bought and sold just like any other possession. By 1725, 24 percent of Illinois residents were African American—most of them, presumably, slaves.

The French slave influence in Illinois is demonstrated by Pierre Menard, a French-Canadian who arrived in Kaskaskia in 1790. A trader and merchant, Menard was elected Illinois’ first lieutenant-governor in 1818. He also was one of the largest slaveholders in the state and was listed as owning 18 slaves in 1830.

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TEN DOLLARS Reward.

THE above Reward will be given for apprehending and delivering to me in Kaskaskia my Negro Boy NAMED “Toussaint,”

Who ran away or absconded a few days since. He is about 30 years eld, about five feet 9 or 10 inches high, of a very black complexion, speaks the French & English languages, but the French is his mother tongue, he is of a mild and decent countenance, generally of a merry disposition and fond of singing. He had on when he went away a [word illegible] Blanket [word illegible], the other apparel not recollected. He has a remarkable scar on one of his cheeks. He may probably make use of a Permit written in French, which I gave him on the 27th of August last, which went merely to show that I permitted him to go to White River, in Missouri, with a certain Peter A. Lorimier, to whom I had hired him for one year, but [word illegible] he has not gone with him, the said Permit becomes entirely void.

F. Menard.

Kaskaskia, Sep. 3d, 1824.