ists ▁imported ▁more ▁African ▁slaves ▁to ▁the ▁Illinois ▁Country ▁for ▁use ▁as ▁agricult ural ▁or ▁min ing ▁labor ers . ▁By ▁the ▁mid - e igh teenth ▁century , ▁slaves ▁account ed ▁for ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁a ▁third ▁of ▁the ▁limited ▁population ▁in ▁that ▁rural ▁area . ▁ ▁S la very ▁was ▁much ▁more ▁extensive ▁in ▁colonial ▁Louisiana , ▁where ▁the ▁French ▁developed ▁sugar ▁can e ▁plant ations ▁along ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River . ▁S la very ▁was ▁maintained ▁during ▁the ▁French ▁( 1 6 9 9 ▁– ▁ 1 7 6 3 , ▁and ▁ 1 8 0 0 ▁– ▁ 1 8 0 3 ) ▁and ▁Spanish ▁( 1 7 6 3 ▁– ▁ 1 8 0 0 ) ▁periods ▁of ▁government . ▁The ▁first ▁people ▁ens la ved ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁were ▁Native ▁Americans , ▁but ▁they ▁could ▁easily ▁escape ▁into ▁the ▁coun tr ys ide ▁which ▁they ▁knew ▁well . ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁the ▁French ▁imported ▁Afr icans ▁as ▁labor ers ▁in ▁their ▁efforts ▁to ▁develop ▁the ▁col ony . ▁Mort ality ▁rates ▁were ▁high ▁for ▁both ▁colon ists ▁and ▁Afr icans , ▁and ▁new ▁workers ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁imported . ▁ ▁Im plement ed ▁in ▁colonial ▁Louisiana ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 4 , ▁Louis ▁XIV ▁of ▁France ' s ▁Code ▁No ir ▁reg ulated ▁the ▁slave ▁trade ▁and ▁the ▁institution ▁of ▁sla very ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁colon ies . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁Louisiana ▁and ▁the ▁Mobile ▁area ▁developed ▁