The French Village Red, White, and Black lived along the Mississippi and the Missouri River. They built houses far apart so they would have room for barns and black slaves. African Americans were slaves and helped with tasks like hunting, trapping, and rowing boats while women worked as housekeepers and servants. The French traded with the Indians, borrowing and buying items like guns, blankets, fur, moccasins and leather pants. Farming and activities like fur trading and lead mining were important jobs for early French settlers in Missouri.