In this segment, Les Sinclair talks with historian Rick Britton about This Week in U.S. History: During this week in 1818—December 3rd specifically—Illinois became the 21st U.S. state. Explored by the French as early as 1673, the area was part of the French empire until 1763 when it passed to the British. It was ceded to the new United States in 1783 at the end of the American Revolution and became part of the Northwest Territory. The state has a varied history in relation to slavery. Slavery was banned by the Northwest Ordinance, but when Illinois became a sovereign state in 1818, the Ordinance no longer applied. The southern part of the state, known as “Egypt,” was settled by southerners who’d brought their slaves. Proslavery elements tried to call a convention to legalize slavery, but they were blocked by then-Governor Edward Coles who mobilized anti-slavery forces, warning that rich slave owners would buy up all the good farmlands. Here’s the Local Connection: Edward Coles, the powerful anti-slavery governor, was born in Albemarle County in 1786 to a well-to-do slave-owning family. He became an avowed anti-slavery man while studying at William and Mary, and later served as President James Madison’s private secretary. Having met former president Thomas Jefferson, Coles in 1814 corresponded with him in an attempt to get Jefferson to publicly support a plan for gradual emancipation. Jefferson’s responses were extremely disappointing. With his inherited slaves, Coles moved to Edwardsville, Illinois, in 1819, freeing all 20 of them en route, and giving each head of household 160 acres so they could start anew. He was elected governor in 1822 and led anti-slavery forces in the 1824 Constitutional Convention resolution vote that guaranteed Illinois would remain free. A new OLLI at UVA class: Rick Britton will be teaching an OLLI class at Michie Tavern starting Thursday, January 30th (and continuing for two more Thursdays). It’s entitled “Enchanted, Empowered, & Enslaved.” It’s about three of this area’s most famous women: Anastasia, Dolley Madison, and Sally Hemings. For more info go to olliuva.org (and look under “Events”), or call (434) 923-3600.