The World, the Flesh, and the Devil: A History of Colonial St. Louis

by Patricia Cleary

As Anglo-American colonists along the Atlantic seaboard began to protest British rule in the 1760s, a new settlement was emerging many miles west. St. Louis, founded simply as a French trading post, was expanding into a diverse global village. Few communities in eighteenth-century North America had such a varied indigenous Americans, French traders and farmers, African and Indian slaves, British officials, and immigrant explorers interacted there under the weak guidance of the Spanish governors. As the city’s significance as a hub of commerce grew, its populace became increasingly unpredictable, feuding over matters large and small and succumbing too often to the temptations of “the world, the flesh, and the devil.” But British leaders and American Revolutionaries still sought to acquire the area, linking St. Louis to the era’s international political and economic developments and placing this young community at the crossroads of empire.With its colonial period too often glossed over in histories of both early America and the city itself, St. Louis merits a new treatment. The first modern book devoted exclusively to the history of colonial St. Louis, The World, the Flesh, and the Devil illuminates how its people loved, fought, worshipped, and traded. Covering the years from the settlement’s 1764 founding to its 1804 absorption into the young United States, this study reflects on the experiences of the village’s many inhabitants.The World, the Flesh, and the Devil recounts important, neglected episodes in the early history of St. Louis in a narrative drawn from original documentary records. Chapters detail the official censure of the illicit union at the heart of St. Louis’s founding family, the 1780 battle that nearly destroyed the village, Spanish efforts to manage commercial relations between Indian peoples and French traders, and the ways colonial St. Louisans tested authority and thwarted traditional norms. Patricia Cleary argues that St. Louis residents possessed a remarkable willingness to adapt and innovate, which enabled them to survive the many challenges they faced.The interior regions of the U.S. have been largely relegated to the margins of colonial American history, even though their early times were just as dynamic and significant as those that occurred back east. The World, the Flesh, and the Devil is an inclusive, wide-ranging, and overdue account of the Gateway city’s earliest years, and this engaging book contributes to a comprehensive national history by revealing the untold stories of Upper Louisiana’s capital.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

376 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2011

Reviews

[Brook Barnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and illuminating read. As a St. Louisian myself, I appreciate the way Cleary gives modern landmarks so I can follow her along as she narrated the history of the city and it’s surrounding areas.

[Rick Theule · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best written, but I certainly learned quite a bit about colonial St.Louis. A little repetitive in detail.

[Katie Lade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok the author’s voice was excellent and the way they organized the history of stl was also excellent but why were there so many typos

[M Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable history of a relatively short time in the life of my hometown, Patricia Cleary covers only the period from the founding of St. Louis (1764) with a bit of background up to the point of the Louisiana Purchase and the start of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1803). As a result, chapters can get a little bogged down in the detail of day-to-day events. Still, quite satisfying, and a perceptive look at how international events molded the region I still love today.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most readable histories of colonial St. Louis, Ms Cleary reveals the lives of the people who first settled along the western bank of the Mississippi. She ties the local dramas smoothly to the wider politics of the day and presents a coherent narrative of one of the lesser known frontier theaters of the late 18th century.

[David Nichols · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a richly and at times minutely detailed narrative history of Saint Louis under Spanish rule (1764-1804). It will appeal to enthusiasts for Missouri and St. Louis history, and to historians of the early American frontier.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book on the colonial history of St. Louis. It shows how a multi-cultural, frontier settlement coped and coexisted with environmental, cultural, religious, and international challenges.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoroughly researched, exhaustively detailed work. Good for serious students of early St. Louis history, not as much for the general reader.

[Dee Sanfilippo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never knew most of this about St. Louis. It was such an effortless, entertaining story.