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Westport remembers Captain Paul Cuffe. EverythingWestport.com Saturday, June 13, 2009 View
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speed | Captain Paul Cuffe died in Westport on September 7, 1817 leaving behind a legacy of achievements extraordinary for his time. Westport’s most memorable citizen is gone, but far from forgotten.
On Saturday, June 13 an eclectic mix of over one hundred visitors drawn from all over New England, including descendants, public figures, historians and students from the Paul Cuffee School in Providence, gathered to remember the birth of a remarkable man whose accomplishments continue to aspire new generations of Americans to attain any dream and undertake any challenge, and to have the courage and vision to see it through. “The celebration of the 250th anniversary of the
birth of Paul Cuffe in this year when an African-American, Barack Obama, was
sworn in as President of the United States could not be more poignant.
To be on the grounds of the Quaker Meetinghouse which Cuffe lovingly helped
build, with his descendants placing flowers on his and Alice Cuffe's graves,
moved all of us.” Betty Slade, member, 250th Anniversary Paul Cuffe Committee. The son of an
African American and Wampanoag Indian, Cuffe was born January 17, 1759 on
Cuttyhunk to a freed slave and farmer, and to a native American. He was one
of 10 children. In 1773 he joined the crew of a whaling vessel, learned
navigation and taught himself how to read and write. Cuffe was self-educated
in all areas. In 1776 he is
captured by the British in New York harbor, imprisoned for three months, and
then released. He went to Westport to the farm left to him by his father at
his death in 1772. In 1780 he and
others petitioned the State to exempt blacks and native Americans from
taxation because they cannot vote. Although this quest failed, it did provide
impetus to the 1783 voting reform in Massachusetts. He married Alice
Pequit, a native American, in 1783, and over the next 18 years they had eight
children. In 1784 he purchased a 140 acre farm on the East Branch of the
Westport River, and over the next 23 years constructed docks and built a
fleet of ships to expand his trade network. He constructed an integrated
school on his own property. He broke down
racial barriers with a quiet demeanor and persistent manner which benefited
him in not only in his business dealings and his personal pursuits, but also
for generations to follow. In 1808 Cuffe is
accepted in the Westport Friends Meeting. He has gained the admiration of
influential Quakers and abolitionists around the world who rallied to him in
difficult times. In his calm way he fought for equality and justice in a time
when little was to be found.
There were several readings of Cuffe letters and logs by Carl Cruz, Louise Parsons, George Salvador, Albert Lees III, and Laurie Robertson-Lorant, giving those in attendance a glimpse into the life of a man who has influenced so many.
From the left: (1) Paul
Cruz; (2) New Bedford native Candida Rose singing the Negro National Anthem;
(3) Dr. Stewart Kirkaldy, Westport Friends Meeting; and (4) David Burnham,
founder of the Paul Cuffee School in Providence. “We are trying to
capture the man, the time, and the spirit.” Paul
Cruz During the War of 1812 Cuffe’s brig Traveller, while traveling from Sierra Leone, was seized by US customs (wartime restrictions prevented commercial ships from doing trade with England). He successfully petitioned President James Madison for its release. He later was a guest at the White House, perhaps the first black to be so honored. However, Congress rejected his petition to return to Sierra Leone.
Above left:
Jeremy Kelley of Randolph (foreground) place flowers on Paul Cuffe’s grave.
Jeremy is the fifth great grandson of Paul Cuffe. Above right: many where interested
in the extensive display of {Paul Cuffe material and memorabilia. Cuffe was committed to helping his African brethren resettle in Sierra Leone, a West African nation. He spent much time and effort on this endeavor. He visits Sierra Leone twice. Sierra Leone was a key center of the transatlantic trade in human beings (i.e., slaves), until 1792 when Freetown was founded by the Sierra Leone Company as a home for formerly enslaved African Americans. Cuffe and an all black crew made a third voyage to Africa and took nine families with special skills to help in the development of economic potential for trade for the natives, another pioneering task. He returned home and financed a large portion of and probably directed the building of a new Friends Meeting house which exists today.
Celebrating Paul
Cuffe at 250 Years. Robert Kelley led the procession, accompanied by first and second graders from the Paul Cuffee School, from the meeting house to the monument and placed a wreath at the site. Many placed bouquets around the monument, and at the Cuffe gravesites. Pam Cole, interim pastor of the Dartmouth Monthly Meeting said a prayer at the monument. A moment of silence was observed at the gravesite. The original dedication of the Cuffe monument on June 15, 1913 was made by Horatio P. Howard, donor and great grandson of Paul Cuffe. In attendance was Miss Elizabeth C. Carter, New Bedford school teacher and guest speaker, and Tom Sykes, minister of the Friends Meeting House. “Paul Cuffe is an
American hero who has stimulated my imagination.” David
Burnham, founder of the Paul Cuffee School in Providence Former Westport
resident and selectman, Dr. Stewart Kirkaldy spoke of the Quaker movement,
including the terrible persecution of the time. “The Quakers, experiencing
great prejudices in Rhode Island, established a strong presence in this area, and
started up the Acoaxet Meeting House in 1716,” he said. “Paul Cuffe was familiar with the Quakers
and their values, becoming a member in 1808.”
Many Cuffe supporter came forward in the Friends
Meeting House, a building with few adornments and plain white walls, sunlight
streaming in through the curtain-less windows, and spoke, either reciting
Cuffe passages or speaking from their hearts, about the man whose legacy
continues to inspire today - Susan Almeida of the New England Descendants;
David Burnham, founder of the Paul Cuffee School in Providence; Paul Cruz,
collateral descendant of Paul Cuffe; Lee Blake of the New Bedford Historical
Society; scholar Laurie Robertson-Lorant, author of Melville: A Biography; and George Salvador, former educator
and author of "Paul Cuffe, Black
Yankee”. Paul Cuffee School second graders Frederico Martinez and
Anissa Rivera read an astonishing poem written by first grader Ayanna Rowe entitled PAUL CUFFEE (excerpt below). Eight
years in operation, this public charter school for grades 1 - 8 grants
acceptances by lottery, rather than academic/talent or ethnic/economic
backgrounds. “I believe Paul Cuffe would approve of this,” David Burnham
said. “We are being encouraged by the Rhode Island Board of Education to
introduce a high school program as soon as possible,” he added.
Paul Cuffee
School teachers and students.
“This event was intended to
celebrate Cuffe’s life and legacy, but more it celebrated the possibility of
love and respect being able to overcome all odds. I hope we have learned something about this
from Paul Cuffe.” Betty
Slade, Westport Point
It is believed by local Westport historians that Paul Cuffe’s name was
changed from Cuffee to Cuffe 30 years after his birth. Speculation abounds as
to why, and one theory was his desire to escape the consigned name given his
father as a black slave. Whatever the reason, his grave stone name is Cuffe,
and many records later in his life refer to him as Cuffe (including Doctor
Handy’s). Even one of the Cuffee School second-graders questioned at the
rededication as to why his name had two different spellings. “Paul Cuffe was
a Black philanthropist, merchant, sea captain and abolitionist. The son of a
former African slave and American Indian mother, Cuffe was born on the island
of Cuttyhunk, Massachusetts, near the commercial port of New Bedford. Later
persuaded “that commerce furnished to industry more ample rewards than
agriculture,” he prepared himself for that field by becoming proficient in
mathematics and navigation. Keenly opposed to discrimination against his
people, Cuffe championed their cause with an intensity that might be expected
of a less successful man. But his wealth was no shield against racism, and
his problems reveal as much about its long arm as about the difficulties
encountered by a black person in America.” Reference: The African American Atlas, Black History & Culture an
Illustrated Reference, by Molefi K. Asanta and Mark T. Mattson. Massachusetts State
Representative Michael J. Rodrigues was “surprised to learn his awareness of
Paul Cuffe’s legacy was so incomplete”, and found the rededication both
“enlightening and informative.” Many
echoed his sentiments. Some material in this article provided courtesy of the Westport
Historical Society. The event was organized by the Westport Historical
Society and the New Bedford Historical Society. All photos by
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