William Cooper Nell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Cooper Nell
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| Born | December 16, 1816 |
| Died | May 25, 1874 (aged 57) Boston, Massachusetts, US
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| Occupation | Journalist, author, civil servant |
| Spouse(s) | Frances Ann (Ames) Nell |
| Children | William Cooper Nell, Jr.; Frank Ames Nell |
| Parent(s) | William G. and Louise (Cooper) Nell |
William Cooper Nell (born December 16, 1816 – died May 25, 1874) was an important Black leader who fought to end slavery. He also worked hard for equal school rights for everyone. Nell stood up against discrimination and segregation, which meant treating people unfairly or keeping them separate because of their race.
He was a journalist for newspapers that wanted to end slavery, like The Liberator and The North Star. Nell also helped start the New England Freedom Association. This group was made of Black people and helped slaves who had escaped to the North. After writing his book Services of the Colored Patriot, Nell became the first Black historian in the United States to have his work published.
Contents
Early Life and School Fight
Nell was born in 1816 in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents were Louise Cooper and William Guion Nell. His father was also a key person in the movement to end slavery.
When Nell was a child, he had to go to a separate school just for Black students. He wasn't allowed into the public school near his home.
In 1829, after finishing school at the Abiel Smith School, Nell didn't get a special award given to top students. He was also not allowed to join a special dinner, probably because he was Black. He still managed to attend the dinner by working as a waiter. Instead of the award, the school gave him a book called The Life of Ben Franklin.
This experience deeply affected him. Nell later promised to do everything he could to make sure that "the color of the skin will be no barrier to equal school rights." This meant he wanted to make sure everyone had the same chances at school, no matter their skin color.
Fighting for Equal Rights
Nell began working to change the system of separate schools for Black and white children in Massachusetts. He gathered 2,000 signatures from the Black community on a petition to the state government. In 1855, Nell and his friends won a big victory: separate schools were finally ended in Boston. Nell also encouraged young African Americans to learn even outside of the public school system.
He led many campaigns to end segregation in public places in Boston. He helped make sure that Black people could ride on the Boston railroad with everyone else in 1843. In 1853, he also helped open up performance halls in the city to all people.
Later Work and Challenges
Nell worked as a publisher for Frederick Douglass' newspaper, The North Star, from late 1847 until 1851. He also joined anti-slavery groups in New York and started a literary club. He stopped working with Douglass in 1853 because Douglass supported some separate Black institutions, which Nell strongly disagreed with. Nell believed in full integration, not separation.
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 made it legal to catch escaped slaves even in free states. It also made it harder for people who helped slaves. This law made Nell even more determined to fight slavery. He started the Committee of Vigilance in Boston, where members promised to help escaped slaves. This group was similar to the Freedom Association he helped create in 1842, but it was against the new federal law. Nell also supported the Underground Railroad, a secret network that helped slaves escape to freedom.
In 1855, Nell had another success when the state government finally ended segregation in public schools. A special dinner was held to celebrate Nell's hard work on this issue. During 1855, the newspaper The Liberator hired Nell to travel around the Midwest. His job was to study how African Americans were working to end slavery there.
When he wasn't working for newspapers, Nell tried to get laws passed that would allow Black people to join the Massachusetts army. He didn't succeed with this specific goal, but he did live to see Black soldiers serve in the United States armed forces during the Civil War.
Civil War Efforts
When the Civil War began, Nell worked hard to make sure Black people could join the Union Army as soldiers.
Family Life
On April 14, 1869, William Cooper Nell married Frances Ann Ames. She was 26 years old and the daughter of Philip Osgood Ames, a barber from Nashua, New Hampshire. The Nells had two sons: William Cooper, Jr. (born 1870 – died 1892) and Frank Ames (born 1872 – died 1881).
Death
Nell died from a stroke in 1874 when he was 58 years old. His wife lived for more than twenty years after him, passing away in Nashua, New Hampshire, on September 13, 1895.
Cool Facts About William Cooper Nell
- Nell studied law in the early 1830s. However, he never became a lawyer because he wouldn't promise to support the United States Constitution. He believed it was a document that supported slavery.
- Nell fought for better education and encouraged young African Americans to improve themselves. With John T. Hilton, he started the Adelphia Union and the Young Men's Literary Society of Boston.
- In 1851, Nell asked the state government for money to build a monument for Crispus Attucks. Attucks was one of the first people to die in the American Revolution. When Boston built a big monument for the Boston Massacre in 1888, Attucks was shown clearly in it.
- In 1861, Nell was hired as a postal clerk in Boston. This was a big deal because he was the first African American to hold a federal government job.
- The William Cooper Nell House, which is now a private home in Beacon Hill, was named a National Historic Landmark. This was done to honor his important work in the movement to end slavery. He lived in that house in the 1860s.
