Edward Coles

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2^nd Governor of Illinois
Edward Coles

In office December 5, 1822 – December 6, 1826
Preceded by	Shadrach Bond
Succeeded by	Ninian Edwards

Born	December 15, 1786(1786-12-15) Albermarle County, Virginia
Died	July 7, 1868 (aged 81) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Signature

Edward Coles (December 15, 1786 – July 7, 1868) was governor of Illinois, serving from 1822 to 1826. He was influential in ensuring that Illinois entered the Union as a free state where slavery was forbidden.

1 Early years
2 Anti-slavery views
3 External links
4 References

[edit] 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.

[edit] Anti-slavery views

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, and Coles' explorations of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky as places to settle his slaves were disappointing. Service as private secretary to President James Madison and as an a special envoy to the Czar of Russia, slowed his efforts to find somewhere to resettle his former slaves. However, in 1818, he decided to do so in Illinois.

Unfortunately, Coles had misjudged the debates over Illinois' new constitution. He failed to understand the interest that many Illinois politicians and business leaders had in legalizing slavery. In 1822 talk of a renewed push to legalize slavery prompted Coles to declare himself a candidate for governor. He won in a tight, four-way race, and immediately challenged the state's political elite to eliminate the Black Codes and the indenture laws that created de facto slavery. The pro-slavery forces struck back, with a call for a referendum, the first such vote in American history. However, Coles' leadership defeated the pro-slavery effort in the 1824 vote. Nevertheless, his later attempts at seeking public office in Illinois failed.

He died in 1868 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Coles County, Illinois was named for him.

Preceded by Shadrach Bond	Governor of Illinois 1822–1826	Succeeded by Ninian Edwards

v • d • e Governors of Illinois

Bond • Coles • Edwards • Reynolds • Ewing • Duncan • Carlin • Ford • French • Matteson • Bissell • Wood • Yates, Sr. • Oglesby • Palmer • Oglesby • Beveridge • Cullom • Hamilton • Oglesby • Fifer • Altgeld • Tanner • Yates, Jr. • Deneen • Dunne • Lowden • Small • Emmerson • Horner • Stelle • Green • Stevenson • Stratton • Kerner • Shapiro • Ogilvie • Walker • Thompson • Edgar • Ryan • Blagojevich