Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Edward Coles

Subject(s): Slavery

Transcript of a letter in which Thomas Jefferson explains that he supports the abolition of slavery but protests that he is not the one to lead the effort.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1814-08-25

Creator(s)

Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826

Recipient

Coles, Edward, 1786-1868

Language

English

Period

Ancestry (to 1858)

Repository

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Page Count

2

Production Method

Typed

Record Type

Multi-image

Resource Type

Letter

Rights

These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.

Citation

Cite this Record

Chicago:

Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Edward Coles. [August 25, 1814]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o25460. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.

MLA:

Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826. Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Edward Coles. [25 Aug. 1814]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 29, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o25460.

APA:

Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826., [1814, August 25]. Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Edward Coles.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o25460.

Cite this Collection

Chicago:

Library of Congress Manuscript Division. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.

MLA:

Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 29, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.

APA:

Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.