Service in The White House (January 1810 To Approx. March 1815)
Some months after taking office President James Madison invited Coles to fill the role of private secretary. (Dolley Madison was Coles’ first cousin and Edward’s brother, Isaac Coles, had been secretary to both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison during their administrations.) This opportunity delayed Coles’ plans to free his slaves. He gained political experience as a Madison advisor, served as Madison’s primary emissary to Congress and managed much of the patronage flowing from the executive branch. A tour of northeast states in 1811 brought him in contact with John Adams, the result of which was the start of warming relation between Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Coles toured the Northwest Territory (Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois) in June 1815 in search of land he could purchase and a settlement that was agreeable as a destination for himself and the slaves he still proposed to free.
Read more about this topic: Edward Coles
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