During the Revolutionary War, the area that is now Missouri was not a state but rather a sparsely populated territory under Spanish control. While not formally aligned with either side of the conflict, the region’s inhabitants and administrators largely favored the American cause, providing crucial supplies and logistical support to the Patriot forces operating west of the Mississippi River. This aid included lead for ammunition, provisions, and intelligence about British movements.
This undeclared alliance played a significant role in the war’s western theater. The strategically vital lead mines, located primarily around present-day Ste. Genevieve and Potosi, Missouri, provided a critical source of ammunition for the Continental Army, while the Spanish colonial authorities generally tolerated, and sometimes actively facilitated, the flow of supplies and information to American forces. This support hampered British efforts to control the Mississippi River and weakened their ability to effectively prosecute the war in the West. Understanding this dynamic provides essential context for the later development of the trans-Mississippi West and the eventual incorporation of Missouri into the United States.
