Stuff You Missed in History Class – SYMHC Classics: Paul Cuffe

Hosts: Tracy B. Wilson and Holly Fry
Episode Date: January 17, 2026

Overview of the Episode

This episode spotlights the remarkable life and legacy of Paul Cuffe, a man of African and Wampanoag descent who rose from humble beginnings in colonial New England to become one of the wealthiest people of color in early America. The hosts explore Cuffe’s multifaceted roles as a sea captain, entrepreneur, philanthropist, Quaker, educator, and forerunner to the Pan-African movement, tracing his personal journey and the broader historical context in which he lived.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Paul Cuffe’s Family Background and Early Life

• Birth and Heritage ([01:13]–[02:28])
  • Born January 17, 1759, on Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts, to Kofi Slocum (African, from present-day Ghana) and Ruth Moses (Wampanoag).
  • The name "Kofi" indicates Friday birth in the Akan (Chui dialect).
• Kofi Slocum’s Story ([02:55]–[03:32])
  • Enslaved as a child, freed about 25 years later via either manumission by a Quaker owner or by purchasing his own freedom.
  • Married Ruth Moses, reflecting common marriages between African men and Indigenous women due to demographic realities.
• Multiracial Identity ([04:24])
  • Paul and his siblings, considered Black by white society, acknowledged both African and Indigenous roots, sometimes using “musty” (multiracial, African/Indigenous term specific to coastal Massachusetts).
• Name Change and Early Hardship ([04:53]–[05:18])
  • Family changed surname from Slocum (slave owner’s name) to Cuffy/Cuffe.
  • Paul lost his father at 13, inherited a debt-laden farm, and had no formal education.

2. Maritime Career and Education

• Going to Sea ([05:18]–[06:18])
  • Joined maritime industry at 14, as whaling and seafaring were among the few industries more open to Black and Indigenous men.
  • Learned navigation, reading, writing, and arithmetic at sea.
• Indigenous Maritime Tradition & Exploitation ([06:18]–[07:11])
  • Wampanoag drift whaling expertise predated European presence; Indigenous knowledge was foundational but often exploited.
• Imprisonment and Blockade Running ([07:29])
  • Captured and imprisoned by the British during the Revolution; later ran supplies through blockades to support family ([07:29]).

3. Advocacy and Taxation Protest

• Taxation Without Representation ([09:33]–[10:55])
  • “They had to pay taxes, but they did not have the right to vote at all.” — Holly Fry ([09:59])
  • Paul and John Cuffy protested: “We apprehend ourselves to be aggrieved in that while we are not allowed the privilege of freemen... yet many of our color...have cheerfully entered the field of battle in the defense of the common cause.” — Petition excerpt ([10:55])
  • Their 1780 petition for tax relief ultimately failed, but credited with leading to Black male suffrage in Massachusetts by 1783 ([11:22]).

4. Entrepreneurship, Community Leadership, and Philanthropy

• Business Ventures ([12:08]–[12:56])
  • Built a successful shipping, trading, and whaling business, ultimately owning ships, a mill, and multiple properties.
  • Made a point of hiring Black and Indigenous captains and crews, even when it increased danger.
• Wealth and Community Support ([12:56])
  • Used wealth to assist others; founded schools and supported hospitals with his own funds:
    • “Cuffey built the school on his own property with his own money...any child who wanted to attend, regardless of their race.” — Tracy B. Wilson ([13:26])
• Quaker Involvement ([14:01]–[14:47])
  • Became a formal member of the Westport Quaker Meeting in 1808; oversaw construction of a new Meeting House; first Black attendee at New England Yearly Meeting.

5. Personal Character and Reputation

• Principles and Ethics ([15:10])
  • Revered for integrity: “He would sooner sacrifice his private interests than engage in any enterprise, however lawful or profitable, that might have a tendency either directly or indirectly, to injure his fellow men...He would not deal in ardent spirits nor in slaves...” — Rev. Peter Williams, Jr. ([15:10])

6. African Colonization Initiatives

• Vision for Pan-Africanism and Sierra Leone Resettlement ([17:21]–[23:33])
  • Engaged in the movement to resettle free people of African descent in Sierra Leone.
  • Traveled there in 1811 to assess colony needs and connected with both settlers and local Africans.
  • Founded the Friendly Society of Sierra Leone to promote mutual economic support.
• Obstacles and Opposition ([24:14]–[25:59])
  • Faced opposition from British merchants; apprentice imprisoned in Liverpool.
  • Goods seized under U.S. Embargo Act; petitioned President Madison for their release and became first African American to meet a sitting president ([25:37]).
• First Black-led Emigration Voyage ([27:12]–[28:03])
  • Sponsored and funded 38 emigrants to Sierra Leone in 1815; largely paid costs himself — “This is believed to be the first time that a group of African Americans emigrated...run by and for black people.” — Tracy B. Wilson ([28:03])

7. Rise of the American Colonization Society & Decline of Cuffe’s Project

• Contrasting Visions ([28:03]–[29:24])
  • American Colonization Society (ACS) formed in 1816; included members who were motivated by racism, sought to “rid our country of a useless and pernicious...portion of its population.” — Henry Clay ([28:48])
  • Levi Coffin criticized forced colonization: “To compel them to go as a condition of freedom was a movement to which we were conscientiously opposed...slave power had got the ascendancy in our society.” ([29:24])
• Loss of Black Support ([30:29]–[31:29])
  • By 1817, Black leaders and communities (notably in Philadelphia) opposed colonization as a form of banishment.
  • James Forten: “The plan of colonizing is not asked for by us. We renounce and disclaim any connection with it.” ([31:09])

8. Paul Cuffe’s Death and Legacy

• Final Days ([31:29])
  • Died September 7, 1817, after gathering family to say goodbye.
  • Buried at Westport Friends Meeting House.
  • Memorialized as “Patriot, navigator, educator, philanthropist, friend, a noble character.” ([31:29])
• Historical Impact ([32:19])
  • Regarded today as a prescient figure in the Pan-African movement — preceding figures like W.E.B. Du Bois and Henry Sylvester Williams by nearly a century.

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• “I sort of took a cursory look... and was like, oh yeah, he does seem pretty interesting. Months later...I became so fascinated that I took a field trip to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where there is an exhibit on him at the New Bedford Whaling Museum and the park next to the museum was named in his honor.”
  — Tracy B. Wilson ([01:13])

• “He would sooner sacrifice his private interests than engage in any enterprise, however lawful or profitable, that might have a tendency either directly or indirectly, to injure his fellow men.”
  — Rev. Peter Williams, Jr. ([15:10])

• “This is believed to be the first time that a group of African Americans emigrated from North America to Africa through a venture that was run by and for black people.”
  — Tracy B. Wilson ([28:03])

• “The plan of colonizing is not asked for by us. We renounce and disclaim any connection with it.”
  — James Forten ([31:09])

• “In memory of Captain Paul Cuffey. Patriot, navigator, educator, philanthropist, friend, a noble character.”
  — Inscription on Cuffe’s memorial ([31:29])

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Cuffe’s early life, family, and background: [01:13]–[05:18]
• Education at sea and Revolutionary War blockade running: [05:18]–[07:29]
• Taxation protest and push for Black suffrage: [09:33]–[11:22]
• Business success and philanthropy: [12:08]–[14:01]
• Quaker involvement and community leadership: [14:01]–[15:43]
• Sierra Leone and Pan-African vision: [17:21]–[24:43]
• Disputes with colonization societies and legacy: [28:03]–[32:19]

Overall Tone and Takeaways

The hosts use thoughtful narration and scholarly storytelling to highlight Paul Cuffe’s agency, entrepreneurship, and commitment to justice amid a racially charged colonial and early American context. They admire his forward-thinking, Pan-African ideals, his principled stands against injustice, and his unsung influence on both local communities and global movements. The episode challenges listeners to recognize how much can be missed in mainstream histories—and to appreciate the broader legacies of figures like Paul Cuffe.