Edward Coles (December 15, 1786 – July 7, 1868) was the second Governor of Illinois (1822 to 1826). From an old Virginia family, as a young man Coles was a neighbor and associate of Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, as well as secretary to president James Madison (1810 to 1815). An anti-slavery advocate throughout his adult life, Coles inherited a plantation and slaves but eventually left Virginia for the Illinois Territory in order to set his slaves free.