Westport (Massachusetts) History

Exploring Paul Cuffe: The Man and his Legacy

A Public Symposium
Saturday, October 3, 2009
8:30 AM – 5 PM

New Bedford Whaling Museum
18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA

In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Paul Cuffe (1759 – 1817), a symposium of local and national scholars will explore the many aspects of Captain Cuffe. Each session will include a panel discussion and time for questions and comments with a focus on:

• Paul Cuffe and relationships with the black and white community
• Cuffe’s entrepreneurial and philanthropic ventures
• Sierra Leone - Rise to be a people
• Contemporary relevance of Cuffe and his legacy

Sponsors: New Bedford Historical Society; New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park; Westport Historical Society, Old Dartmouth Historical Society; Rotch-Jones Duff Museum; University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

This Public Symposium is FREE of charge and open to the public.
Pre-registration is advised as space is limited.

Registration for a free, public symposium in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Paul Cuffe (1759 – 1817):Saturday, October 3, 20098:30 AM – 5 PMNew Bedford Whaling Museum18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA

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8:30 – 9 AM Coffee and Registration

9:00 – 9:15 Welcome and Introduction

9:15 – 9:45 Opening Keynote by Lamont Thomas, author of Rise to be a People: A Biography of Paul Cuffe.

9:45 – 10:00 Panel Discussion, Q & A

10:00 – 10:15 Break

10:15 – 11:00 Local relationships and Cuffe

Marion Kilson, Scholar, Museum of African American History, Boston, author of Kpele Lala: Ga Religious Songs and Symbols
Paul Cuffe’s Social Networks and Economic Success

Richard Kugler, former Director of New Bedford Whaling Museum.
The Collaboration of Captain Paul Cuffe and Captain Isaac Cory of Westport

11:00 – 11:15 Panel Discussion, Q & A

11:30 – 12:00 Ray Rickman, former president of the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society and was secretary of the Rhode Island Historical Society and is a dealer in rare African American books.
Reading Paul Cuffe

12:00 – 1:30 Lunch

1:30 – 2:15 In the Time of Cuffe

Julie Winch, University of MA-Boston, is the author of a Gentleman of Color; A Biography of James Forten.
“Thou Art Often the Companion of my Mind”: Cuffe, James Forten and the Portrait of a Friendship

Valerie Cunningham, vice president of the Afro-American Historical &
Genealogical Society-New England Chapter and co-author with Mark J. Sammons of Black Portsmouth: Three Centuries of African American Heritage.
Struggles for Freedom in Seacoast New Hampshire

2:15 – 2:30 Panel discussion, Q & A

2:30 – 2:45 Break

2:45 – 3:30 Rise to be a People - Sierra Leone

David Cole, former Lecturer on Economics, Harvard University, author of Between a Swamp and Hard Place: Developmental Challenges in Remote Rural Africa
Overcoming Incredible Odds: Paul Cuffe and Sierra Leone

Kevin Lowther, former director of Africare, author of The African-American Odyssey of John Kizell
Sierra Leone: If Paul Cuffe had Lived

3:30 – 3:45 Panel discussion, Q & A

3:45 – 4:30 Closing keynote

This project is funded by the Helen E. Ellis Charitable Trust administered by Bank of America and by a grant from the Westport Cultural Council a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Search our collections online!

You can now search our archive and photograph collection on line. This database contains over 6,000 individual records and over 3,000 images. You will find information on themes of Westport history: people, maritime activities, Native Americans, agricultural activities, buildings, events, businesses, tourism, mills, religious organizations, and civic institutions. You will find materials such as newspaper clippings, obituaries, deeds, wills, account books, maps, oral histories, postcards and photographs.
This database is updated regularly.

Please note that this database gives access to archives and photographs only. For information on objects, paintings, textiles and books held by Westport Historical Society, please contact us directly.

Tour the historic Brightman House

497 Old County Road
(at the Head of Westport)
Saturday September 5, 2009
First tour at 2PM . Second tour at 3PM

Built c. 1800, the Brightman House is a superb example of Georgian architecture. It is currently undergoing restoration and retains many original exterior and interior features. Owner/restoration expert Dan Tripp and architectural historian Pete Baker will be your guides. This tour will focus on the restoration process and the many preservation issues faced during the project. Pre-registration required. Space limited. First tour at 2PM, second tour at 3PM. Fee: Members of Westport Historical Society $5.00. Non members $7.00. Contact Westport Historical Society at 508 636 6011 or westhist@gis.net to register. Please specify a preference for either the 2pm tour or the 3pm tour.