Thomas, Nathan T., 1809-1893

Quaker abolitionist and physician in Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, and Schoolcraft, Michigan.

From the description of Nathan M. Thomas papers, 1818-1889. (University of Michigan). WorldCat record id: 79982293

From the description of Nathan M. Thomas papers, 1818-1889. (University of Michigan). WorldCat record id: 34418894

Nathan M. Thomas was born at Mount Pleasant, Jefferson Co., Ohio, on January 2, 1803, the son of Jesse and Avis (Stanton) Thomas, who were devout Quakers. He studied medicine with local practitioners and at the Medical College of Ohio in Cincinnati. In June 1830, after practicing medicine a short time in Ohio, he moved to Prairie Ronde and what would later became the village of Schoolcraft, and began a practice which continued without interruption for about twenty five years. He was married March 17, 1840, to Miss Pamela S. Brown, daughter of Thomas and Sally Brown, of Plymouth, Vermont. Four children were born to them, two sons and two daughters. Thomas would live in Schoolcraft until his death in 1887.

Although not belonging and adhering strictly to the Quakers as a sect, Thomas was staunchly opposed to slavery. In 1839, he joined a movement for the establishment of an anti-slavery paper and in 1840, he helped to form the Liberty party. In 1845, he was the Liberty party candidate for lieutenant governor of Michigan. In 1854, he was a member of the convention which organized the Republican Party in Jackson, Michigan. Prior to the abolition of slavery, Thomas's home was a haven for slaves escaping from the South to Canada. He died April 7, 1887.

From the guide to the Nathan M. Thomas Papers, 1818-1889, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)