Featuring: Larry Kenneth AlexanderÂ
Transcript:
Today, we gather to honor a man whose life and legacy embody the spirit of resilience, justice, and unyielding determination, Paul Cuffee. A free Black Englishman born to a father who had been enslaved, Cuffee refused to let the chains of history define his future. He rose to become one of the most extraordinary figures of colonial America, a beacon of courage and an architect of equality. In New Bedford, Massachusetts, amidst the harbors and ships that defined his world, Paul Cuffee charted a course not just for his own success but for the dignity and rights of all free people of color.
Unlike most Black colonials who worked the decks or toiled as roustabouts, Cuffee broke the mold. He became a ship owner, a businessman, and a landholder—a testament to what could be achieved through fearless ambition and unwavering energy. But his vision extended far beyond personal success. At just 17 years old, Paul Cuffee rejected the name Slocum, a relic of his father’s enslavement, and claimed his own identity. Two years later, he and his brother John took on the state of Massachusetts itself. These young men, still in their teens, dared to demand justice in the face of hypocrisy. The Cuffee brothers argued that taxation without representation was a contradiction, a betrayal of the principles for which the American Revolution was being fought. They declared that if they were required to pay taxes like white citizens, they should be entitled to the same political rights. Through their petitions in 1780 and 1781, they pressed a simple yet radical question: Were free Black men included in the promise of equality declared by the Massachusetts Constitution, which stated that all men are born free and equal? The answer they received was a reduced tax, an acknowledgment of the ambiguity, but not the justice they sought. Still, the Cuffees exposed a fault line in the very foundations of a young America, forcing the nation to confront the hypocrisy of its revolutionary ideals.
Paul Cuffee’s fight for equality did not stop there. At the age of 16, he went to sea, and by 1797, he had purchased a $3,500 farm, a remarkable achievement for any man of his time, let alone a Black man. He shared this life with his wife, Alice Pequet, a woman of Native American ancestry, creating a household that symbolized the unity and strength of diverse peoples. But Paul Cuffee’s vision was never limited to his own prosperity. He saw the glaring inequities of his community, where free Black children were denied the education that could unlock their potential. New Bedford had granted Black citizens the right to vote, but it had yet to provide schools for their offspring. Paul Cuffee took it upon himself to fill this gap. At his own expense, he built a school on his farm and hired a teacher for free Black children, ensuring that the next generation would not be left behind. In doing so, he made clear that equality is not just a matter of rights but of opportunity, a lesson that remains as urgent today as it was in his time.
Paul Cuffee’s life was a declaration of independence in its truest form. He claimed his identity, demanded his rights, and lifted others as he rose. His legacy challenges us to reflect on the promises of freedom and equality that remain unfinished. As we honor Paul Cuffee today, let us remember that the fight for justice is never over. Let us carry forward his fearless spirit, his dedication to community, and his unwavering belief that all people, regardless of race or circumstance, deserve the fullness of liberty and dignity. Please share and visit our website at Wells Center on American Exceptionalism and look for future videos in this series.