John Jones's tailor shop on this site was
Chicago's main stop on the Underground
Railroad, which helped to transport
runaway slaves from the South to the North
or to Canada.

Born the son of a freed slave in North
Carolina, John Jones came to Chicago in
1845 with $3.50 in his pocket. He opened
a tailor shop and became a leader in the
struggle for equal rights for blacks. Jones
focused on repealing the Black Laws,
which denied African-Americans the right to sue, testify in court, make contracts, or receive a public education. Jones's pamphlet The Black Laws of Illinois and a Few Reasons Why They Should Be Repealed proved instrumental in the repeal of the laws.

In 1871, Jones was the first black to hold elected office in Illinois, serving two terms as Cook County Commissioner. He accompanied Frederick Douglass to Washington, D.C., in 1866, serving on a committee that urged President Andrew Johnson to guarantee voting rights to former slaves.

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