Mystic in Stonington in Southeastern Region, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)
Captain Paul Cuffe, 1759 - 1817
The Sea Connects Us
| | Mystic Seaport Museum | |
Paul Cuffe was the son of Ruth Moses, a Wampanoag woman, and Kofi Slocum* a man from West Africa brought to Massachusetts as an enslaved person. Kori gained his freedom, but died when Paul was young. Paul began a career at sea at the age of 14 on his first whaling voyage. He went on to run the British blockade of Nantucket during the Revolution, bringing essential goods to the people on the island and making important Quaker friends. Paul Cuffe became a merchant, a trader, an abolitionist, and an advocate for voting rights for men of color. He also was the owner and a captain of several ships and was the wealthiest man of color during his time. Mystic Seaport Museum has a research fellowship named in his honor, to support new research that considers the participation of Native and African American Americans in the maritime activities of America, particularly in New England.
* Slocum was the surname of the man who enslaved Kofi. All of Kofi and Ruth's children took the surname Cuffe, with the exception of their daughter, Freelove Slocum.
Erected 2022 by Mystic Seaport Museum.
Topics. This historical marker
this page online
Location. 41° 21.661′ N, 71° 57.861′ W. Marker is in Stonington in Southeastern Region, Connecticut. It is in Mystic. It is on Greenmanville Avenue (Connecticut Route 27) north of Bruggeman Place, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 75 Greenmanville Avenue, Mystic CT 06355, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Connecticut Shoreline, in Greater New London, in Mystic and the Eastern Shore, and in the Thames River Valley. It is also in the American Northeast, in New England, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New London County and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker:
Other markers no longer nearby. Western-Rig Dragger Florence (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Eastern-Rig Dragger Roann (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on May 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 239 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 28, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
