Derick op den Graeff

Derick op den Graeff
Derick op den Graeff and Abraham op den Graeff with the petition of the first organized religious protest against slavery in colonial America; sketch by Matthias Laurenz Gräff (2023)
bailiff or chief executive (burgomaster) of Germantown
In office 1693–1694
Personal details
Born	1646 Krefeld, Germany
Died	1697 Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Profession	Politician, weaver, merchant

Derick Isaacs op den Graeff, also Dirk, Dirck, Derrick Isaacs op den Graeff, Opdengraef, Opdengraff as well as Op den Gräff^[1] (1646 in Krefeld - May 24, 1697 in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was one of the so-called Original 13, the first closed group of German emigrants to North America, an original founder of Germantown, Pennsylvania, as well as a civic leader. As an early abolitionist He was a signer of the first organized religious protest against slavery in colonial America. He, or his brother Abraham op den Graeff, are briefly mentioned in John Greenleaf Whittier's poem "The Pennsylvania Pilgrim" simply as "Op Den Graaf".