Paul Cuffee - After The War

After The War

Paul Cuffee sailed out of Westport on December 10, 1815 with thirty-eight Black colonists (18 adults and 20 children ranging in age from 8 months to sixty years). The group included William Gwinn and his family from Boston, Massachusetts.

The expedition cost Cuffee more than $4000. Passengers paying their own fares plus a donation by William Rotch of New Bedford, Massachusetts accounted for the remaining $1000 in expenses. The colonists arrived in Sierra Leone on February 3, 1816 along with axes, hoes, a plow, wagon and parts to make a saw mill. Cuffee and his immigrants were not greeted as warmly as before. Governor MacCarthy was already having trouble keeping the general population in order and was not excited at the idea of more immigrants. In addition, the Militia Act, which had been imposed upon the colony, required all adult males to swear an oath of allegiance to the Crown. Many local people refused to do so for fear of being drafted into military service. Although things did not go exactly as planned economically - his cargo sold at heavily undervalued prices - the new colonists were finally all settled in Freetown. Cuffee believed that once continuous trade between America, Britain, and Africa commenced, the society would realize his predicted success. For Cuffee, though, the expedition was costly. Each colonist needed their first year's provisions, which he fronted for them. Governor MacCarthy was sure that the African Institution would reimburse Cuffee, but that and the heavy tariff duties left more than $8,000 of deficit for the captain. The African Institution in England never contributed to the mission at all, and Cuffee had to deal with hard economic consequences. Cuffee needed reliable backing before he could afford another such expedition.