Edward Coles

Edward Coles (December 15, 1786 – July 7, 1868) was Governor of Illinois, serving from 1822 to 1826. He was influential in opposing a movement to make Illinois a slave state in its early years. Coles was born into a wealthy slave-owning family in Albemarle County, Virginia. His brothers-in-law were John Rutherfoord, who served as governor of Virginia, and Andrew Stevenson, who served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and Am... more

Edward Coles (December 15, 1786 – July 7, 1868) was Governor of Illinois, serving from 1822 to 1826. He was influential in opposing a movement to make Illinois a slave state in its early years. Coles was born into a wealthy slave-owning family in Albemarle County, Virginia. His brothers-in-law were John Rutherfoord, who served as governor of Virginia, and Andrew Stevenson, who served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and American minister to the United Kingdom. Coles' studies at the College of William & Mary convinced him that slavery was wrong. He sought for many years to find a way to free the slaves he inherited from his father, one of the wealthiest men in what was then the western frontier of Virginia. Virginia had banned newly-freed slaves from living in the state. He corresponded with first James Madison, and then Thomas Jefferson about emancipation. Coles's exploration of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky as places to settle his slaves was disappointing.... less