Confronting Slavery: Edward Coles and the Rise of Antislavery Politics in Nineteenth-Century America

Very few antebellum state officials merit a full-length scholarly biography, but Suzanne Cooper Guaseo of Queens University of Charlotte argues that Edward Coles (1786-1860), governor of Illinois from 1823 to 1825, is a worthy exception. The biography's tight focus on the slavery issue, however...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society (1998) 2014, Vol.107 (3-4), p.398-399
Main Author: McKivigan, John R.
Format: Review
Language:English
Subjects:
19th century
Abolition of slavery
Abolitionists
American history
History
Jefferson, James
Lincoln, Abraham (1809-1865)
Nationalism
Politics
US State History
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Summary:Very few antebellum state officials merit a full-length scholarly biography, but Suzanne Cooper Guaseo of Queens University of Charlotte argues that Edward Coles (1786-1860), governor of Illinois from 1823 to 1825, is a worthy exception. The biography's tight focus on the slavery issue, however, squanders the opportunity to use Coles' position as a minor but well-informed Washington official to explore the inner dynamics of federal government decision-making in the fading years of deferential politics. In leading the successful effort to turn back this attempt, Coles developed an ideology that Guaseo describes as antislavery nationalism, stressing slavery's contradiction to the nation's fundamental republican principles.
ISSN:1522-1067
2328-3335
DOI:10.5406/jillistathistsoc.107.3-4.0398