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THE MAN WHO FREED HIS SLAVES
A NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF EDWARD COLES
By Nicholas Gordon
Copyright 1980, 2005. All rights reserved.
Edward Coles is best known as the recipient of a letter from Thomas Jefferson
on the subject of slavery. But he is an important figure in his own right
for two reasons. First, in an attempt to prove to the world that slaves could
be freed successfully, he freed his own slaves and settled them on the frontier
in Illinois. Second, as governor of Illinois, he led the successful struggle
to prevent Illinois from becoming a slave state. Arguably, had Coles not
come to Illinois to free his slaves, Illinois might have become a slave state,
changing significantly all that followed.
This narrative was researched in the 1970's and written in 1980. I then
put it aside unfinished, coming back to it only in 2005 for the purpose of
putting whatever I had on the Web so that others might benefit from the work
I had done.
Please direct all email correspondence to coleswebmaster at
poemsforfree.com.
Last updated: November 25, 2007
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