From Slave to State Legislator

As the first African American elected to the Illinois general assembly, John W. E. Thomas was the recognized leader of the state's African American community for nearly twenty years and laid the groundwork for the success of future black leaders in Chicago politics. Despite his key role in the passage of Illinois' first civil rights act and his commitment to improving his community against steep personal and political barriers, Thomas's life and career have been long forgotten by historians and the public alike. This fascinating full-length biography-the first to address the full influence of Thomas or any black politician from Illinois during the Reconstruction Era-is also a pioneering effort to explain the dynamics of African American politics and divisions within the black community in post-Civil War Chicago.