Paul Cuffe (1759–1817) was a prominent American merchant, shipowner, and abolitionist of mixed Black and Wampanoag descent. Born free on Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts, Cuffe overcame the severe racial barriers of his era to build a highly successful maritime shipping business along the Atlantic Coast and internationally. A skilled navigator and entrepreneur, he constructed his own vessels and established a prosperous boatyard on the Westport River.
Deeply committed to education and civic progress, Cuffe funded and founded the first racially integrated school in the United States in Westport, Massachusetts. As a devout Quaker, he became an influential member of the Westport Friends Meeting, contributing significantly to the construction of their meeting house and frequently speaking at Quaker gatherings across the region.
In his later years, Cuffe focused his efforts on colonization and economic empowerment for free Black Americans. He collaborated with British abolitionists to support the development of Sierra Leone, advocating for local industry and trade rather than the slave trade. In 1815, he personally funded and navigated a voyage transporting nine free Black families to Sierra Leone to help build its economy. Although approached by the American Colonization Society, Cuffe ultimately declined to support their efforts, choosing instead to focus on direct empowerment through training, machinery, and shipping.
