William Cooper Nell

Place: Boston

Born: 1816

Death: 1874

Biography:

William Cooper Nell was an African American civic activist, abolitionist, and historian. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Nell was the son of William Guion Nell, a prominent tailor and black community leader. Nell was a member of the free Black community of Beacon Hill and became one of Boston's most influential and respected community leaders. He was an integral part of The Liberator’s staff and advocate for Black rights. Nell was also the first Black person to serve in the federal civil service, where he worked in the post office. He is noted as the first African American to write about African Americans in history, with his short histories, Services of Colored Americans in the Wars of 1776 and 1812 (1851) and The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution (1855).