Call Number:

1458

Repository:

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Extent:

1.6 linear feet (; 3 boxes, 5 volumes, 4 flat files)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], Coles Family Papers (Collection 1458), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Date:

1819-1870 (bulk) and 1760-1921, undated (inclusive)

Creator:

Coles, Edward, 1786-1868.

Form:

Biography., Currency., and Speeches, addresses, etc.

Abstract:

Edward Coles was the governor of Illinois from 1822 to 1826. Prior to that position, he was private secretary to President James Madison and special envoy to Russia. Coles was a staunch abolitionist and worked against the legalization of slavery in Illinois. The Coles family papers provide insight into the private and political life of Edward Coles, as well as glimpses of the lives of several other family members, including his son Edward Coles Jr. and brother John Coles. The collection provides information about planter family life, politics in Illinois, and the politics of abolition in general, as well as the personal activities of Edward Coles throughout his life. This collection contains correspondence, land deeds, ledger books, newspapers, scrapbooks, speech notes, tax forms, tariff papers, government appointment papers, certificates, and various miscellaneous material.

Edward Coles (1786-1868) was special secretary to President James Madison, an envoy to Russia, governor of Illinois from 1822 to 1826, and a staunch abolitionist. He held vast tracts of land in several Midwest states, including Illinois and Missouri.

He was born in Albemarle County, Virginia. The Coles family had been farmers in Virginia since the colonial period. He attended college at both Hampton Sidney College and the College of William and Mary. Soon after graduation, Coles became secretary to President James Madison. He worked as special envoy to Russia in 1816 and land register in Illinois from 1819 until 1827.

An abolitionist since college, Coles moved to Illinois in 1819 in order to free his slaves, since slaves freed in Virginia were not allowed to stay in the state. Once in Illinois, however, Coles found himself in the middle of pro-slavery agitation in the state. Many settlers in Illinois were from slave states and wanted to bring their human property with them when they settled. Thrust into the fray, Coles announced that he would run for governor in 1821 as an anti-slavery candidate. He won the election, but only because 67 percent of the popular vote was split between three pro-slavery candidates.

Coles had a rocky administration, but was able to block a proposed constitutional amendment in the state to legalize slavery, in part by writing anonymous newspaper articles arguing that allowing slavery, and particularly the slave-owning class, in Illinois, would hurt the average farmer.

Before, during, and after his time as governor, Coles purchased many tracts of land. Mostly, he bought huge holdings in Illinois and Missouri, but he also bought homes in Washington, D.C., St. Louis, and Philadelphia. He usually rented out his lands to tenant farmers.

Disillusioned with politics, Coles moved to Philadelphia in 1832, where he lived in a state of semi-retirement, with income from his rented lands. He died in 1868.

This collection (1760-1921) holds papers from several members of the Coles family, including Edward Coles, Sr.; Edward Coles, Jr.; John Coles; Mary Coles; and Rebecca Coles.

The majority of the collection is made up of Edward Coles, Sr.'s correspondence, which ranges from 1805 to 1868. In his correspondence, he discusses family and personal matters, abolition, and some political topics from his time as governor of Illinois. Also included in his materials are documents relating to Russian trade, from his time as a special envoy there. There are several folders containing speech notes and two volumes that record his numerous land purchases and holdings. There are also two volumes that hold newspaper clippings from Coles's time as governor, mainly relating to his fight for abolition and authored by him. Box 3, Folder 22 holds a partial inventory of the Edward Coles, Sr. material.

The Edward Coles, Jr. material is also mainly correspondence, ranging from 1867 to 1887. There is also one folder containing the correspondence of John Coles and one folder containing almanac pages from Rebecca Coles.

The collection also contains miscellaneous family materials, primarily legal papers and deeds relating to land owned by various members of the Coles family in Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. There are also military commissions; travel documents, particularly for Edward Coles, Jr. and Mary Coles; stock certificates; Confederate currency; almanac pages; and loose newspaper clippings. A single volume records trustee action for the Coles estate.

This collection was processed using the More Product, Less Process model, and is not arranged into series. Materials are arranged alphabetically by title.