Sheppard, Moses.

Quaker humanitarian and businessman of Baltimore, Md.

Born outside of Philadelphia in 1775, Moses Sheppard was the son of Nathan and Sarah Shoemaker Sheppard. After their property was confiscated during the Revolutionary War, the family eventually moved to Maryland. Moses began work as an errand boy for Quaker merchant, John Mitchell; he eventually went into partnership with him and was also involved in a number of other business venures. Sheppard never married and devoted most of his life to a number of social reforms, including the treatment of the insane and the colonization movement. As a Quaker and member of Baltimore Monthly Meeting, he was active in a number of committees, including that of Indian Affairs of Baltimore Yearly Meeting. He was also involved in the Maryland State and American Colonization Societies, and believed strongly in colonization as a means of eliminating slavery in the U.S. At his death, his bequest established the Sheppard Asylum.