Divided Loyalties opens with a look at pre-Civil War Missouri and the role that the institution of slavery played in the state’s culture and economy. Highlighting original documents, including the famous court case brought by Dred and Harriet Scott and two 1850s-era sale bills for slaves, this section shows how slaves were treated as property that could be bought, sold, and distributed by the courts. Divided Loyalties also reveals how the issue of slavery split Missouri’s population, resulting in deep-seated tension and opposition in government, business, military, and social life.