Captain Paul Cuffe - New Bedford, MA - Massachusetts Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Marker Text:

Paul Cuffe (1759-1817) was a sea captain, merchant, philanthropist, community leader, civil rights advocate and abolitionist. The son of an African father and Native American mother, Cuffe was born on the island of Cuttyhunk, off the coast of New Bedford. Proficient in mathematics and navigation, he worked his way up to ship owner and Captain. He founded one of the first integrated schools in America in Westport, petitioned the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from voting rights for people of color, and led efforts to resettle African-Americans in Africa. Together with his two son-in-law, Paul Cuffe operated ’Cuffe & Howards,’ A West Indian import store nearby at the Four Corners ( corner of Union Street and Water Street) in New Bedford.

(caption – upper right)
Cuffe’s vessel Traveler is pictured between two Atlantic coastlines, New England’s and Africa’s. This image of first appeared with a silhouette of Captain Cuffe in the Liverpool Mercury paper in 1811, and was reprinted in an 1850 quake or anti-slavery monthly entitled ’The Non-Slaveholder’.

Agency Responsible for Placement: National Park Service Agency Responsible for Placement (if not in list above): N/A County: Bristol City/Town Name: New Bedford Relevant Web Site: [Web Link] Year Placed: Not listed

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Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   08/31/2014 Lat34North visited it