Nathaniel W. Depee

Nathaniel W. Depee (1812 – June 19, 1868) was an American activist, abolitionist, and merchant tailor.^[1] He was active in the Underground Railroad, and in Black politics in Philadelphia in the 1830s through 1860s.^[2][3]

Nathaniel W. Depee
Depee's portrait (c. 1900) from the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Born	1812 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	19 June 1868 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Burial place	Eden Cemetery
Other names	N. W. Depee
Occupation(s)	Activist, abolitionist, merchant tailor

Biography

Nathaniel W. Depee was born in 1812 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.^[4]

In 1845, Depee helped to form the Colored American National Society, an organization that helped connect the Colored Conventions Movement and William Whipper's American Moral Reform Society.^[1] In 1855, Depee served as a delegate at the 1855 National Colored Convention in Philadelphia.^[1]

Depee was one of five members of the acting committee for the Vigilant Association of Philadelphia, others included William Still, Jacob C. White, Passmore Williamson, and Charles Wise.^[5][6] His home at 334 South Street was listed as one of the Underground Railroad stops.^[1]

He died on June 19, 1868, in Philadelphia,^[4] and was buried initially at Lebanon Cemetery, and later re-interred to Eden Cemetery.

See also

• History of African Americans in Philadelphia

References

1. de Vera, Samantha (ed.). "Nathaniel W. Depee". The Fight for Black Mobility: Traveling to Mid-Century Conventions, Colored Conv. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
2. Still, William (1886). Still's Underground Rail Road Records. William Still. p. 612.
3. Newman, Richard S.; Mueller, James (2011). Antislavery and Abolition in Philadelphia: Emancipation and the Long Struggle for Racial Justice in the City of Brotherly Love. LSU Press. ISBN 978-0-8071-3993-6.
4. "N.W. Depee, Member of the Acting Committee". National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
5. Switala, William J. (2008-08-21). Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-4912-1.
6. Sanders, Nancy I. (2012-06-01). Frederick Douglass for Kids: His Life and Times, with 21 Activities. Chicago Review Press. p. 54. ISBN 978-1-61374-357-7.