Coles Family Papers 1458 Finding aid prepared by Amanda Fellmeth.
Last updated on November 09, 2018.
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
2010 Coles Family Papers
Table of Contents
Summary Information...... 3 Biography/History...... 5 Scope and Contents...... 6 Administrative Information...... 6 Related Materials...... 7 Controlled Access Headings...... 7 Bibliography...... 8 Collection Inventory...... 9
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Summary Information
Repository Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Creator Coles, Edward, 1786-1868.
Title Coles Family Papers
Call number 1458
Date [bulk] 1819-1870
Date [inclusive] 1760-1921, undated
Extent 1.6 linear feet (; 3 boxes, 5 volumes, 4 flat files)
Language English
Mixed materials (00002777)3 [Volume]
Mixed materials (00002776)2 [Volume]
Mixed materials (00002779)5 [Volume]
Mixed materials (00002778)4 [Volume]
Mixed materials (00002774)3 [Box]
- Page 3 - Coles Family Papers Mixed materials (00002773)2 [Box]
Mixed materials [Oversize] Flat files 1
Mixed materials [Oversize] Flat files 4
Mixed materials (00002772)1 [Box]
Mixed materials (00002775)1 [Volume]
Mixed materials [Oversize] Flat files 2
Mixed materials [Oversize] Flat files 3
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.
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Cite as:
Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], Coles Family Papers (Collection 1458), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Biography/History
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.
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Scope and Contents
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.
Administrative Information
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
2010 Finding aid prepared by Amanda Fellmeth.
Sponsor This collection was processed as part of the Digital Center for Americana pilot project, funded by the Barra Foundation and various individuals.
- Page 6 - Coles Family Papers Access Restrictions This collection is open to researchers.
Provenance This collection was a gift of Oliver W. Robbins in 1948.
Related Materials
Related Material at Other Institutions Edward Coles Papers, 1797-1881. Princeton University Manuscript Division. (Call Number, C0037.) Coles Papers, 1814-1857. Swem Library, The College of William and Mary. (Mss.39.2 C68.)
Related Material at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania Coles, W.B. "Chart of the Coles Family of Virginia." (Call Number: Charts Co.) "Bible records of Charles W. Coles and Elizabeth (Lizzie) M. Mead, 1843-1963." (Call Number: BR Co.) "Bible records of the allied families of Maxfield (1841-1874) and Coles (1575-1912)." (Call Number: BR Pa.) Coles House Records. (Mss 3242.)
Controlled Access Headings
Form/Genre(s)
• Biography. • Currency. • Speeches, addresses, etc.
Geographic Name(s)
- Page 7 - Coles Family Papers • Illinois--Politics and government--To 1865. • Russia--Treaties, etc. United States. • United States--Politics and Government--19th century.
Personal Name(s)
• Coles, John, 1774-1848.
Subject(s)
• International trade--19th century. • Slavery--Law and legislation--United States--History. • Slavery--United States--History.
Bibliography
Spencer, Donald S. “Edward Coles: Virginia Gentleman in Frontier Politics.” Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society 61, no. 2. (1968): 150-163. http://jstor.org/stable/40190813 (accessed July 26, 2010).
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Collection Inventory
Box Folder
Coles family certificates, (1812-1862). 1 1
Coles family Confederate and French currency, (1792-1864). 1 2
Coles family legal papers, (1760-1869). 1 3-10
Coles family legal papers, (1870-1883, undated). 2 1-2
Coles family miscellaneous papers, (1797-1921, undated). 2 3
Edward Coles, Jr. checks and receipts, (1872-1880). 2 4
Edward Coles, Jr. correspondence, (1867-1887). 2 5-10
Edward Coles, Sr. autobiography, (1844). 2 11
Edward Coles, Sr. correspondence, (1805-1840). 2 12-34
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Edward Coles, Sr. correspondence, (1841-1868). 3 1-19
Edward Coles, Sr. documents on Russia, (1807-1817). 3 20
Edward Coles, Sr. essay, "Emancipation of the slaves of Edward Coles", 3 21 (1827).
Edward Coles, Sr. inventory, (undated). 3 22
Edward Coles, Sr. notes, (1863). 3 23
Edward Coles, Sr. receipts and checks, (1818-1861). 3 24
Edward Coles, Sr. speech, (undated). 3 25
Edward Coles, Sr. tax papers, (1826-1866). 3 26-27
John Coles correspondence, (1808-1810). 3 28
Rebecca Coles copy of memoranda from almanac, (1803-1827). 3 29
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Box Folder
Coles family account receipts, (1841-1881). 1
Edward Coles, Sr. account book, (1818-1839). 2
Edward Coles, Sr. land transactions, (1818-1869). 3
Edward Coles, Sr. scrapbook, (undated). 4
Edward Coles, Sr. scrapbook, (undated). 5
Box Folder
Edward Coles, Sr. oversized documents on Russia, (1816). Flat file 1
Coles family oversized certificates, (1819-1894). Flat file 2
Coles family oversized legal papers, (1826-1868). Flat file 3
Coles family oversized newspapers, (1864-1867). Flat file 4
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