Nance Legins-Costley
The first slave freed by Abraham Lincoln
About Nance Legins-Costley
Lived 1813 – 1873 (aged 59–60).
Nance Legins-Costley (c. 1813–1892), born Nance Legins Cox, an African American, was the first slave legally manumitted (freed) by attorney Abraham Lincoln, in 1841, twenty years before the start of the American Civil War.
In the period before the trial, Nance would go from being owned by Cox to a man named Nathan Cromwell, from whom she would later fight to gain her freedom.
Biography Nance Legins Costley and the trials that eventually freed her are the subject of a book Nance: Trials of the First Slave Freed by Abraham Lincoln: A True Story of Mrs. Nance Legins-Costley.
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Important facts
People in Nance Legins-Costley's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Nance Legins-Costley's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Nance Legins-Costley?
The first slave freed by Abraham Lincoln
When was Nance Legins-Costley born?
Nance Legins-Costley was born in 1813.
When did Nance Legins-Costley die?
Nance Legins-Costley died in 1873.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Nance Legins-Costley
· DBpedia: Nance Legins-Costley
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Nance Legins-Costley. https://biography.guide/nance-legins-costley/
MLA: "Nance Legins-Costley." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/nance-legins-costley/.
Chicago: "Nance Legins-Costley." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/nance-legins-costley/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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