On May 2, 1812, Captain Paul Cuffe arrived at the White House for a meeting with President James Madison, becoming one of the first African Americans to formally meet with a sitting president. Cuffe (pictured) was an internationally renowned sea captain and maritime trader, from Cuttyhunk Island in southern Massachusetts. He was born to Ruth Moses, a Wampanoag woman, and Kofi Slocum, a formerly enslaved man of Ashanti (modern-day Ghanaian) origin. A successful shipbuilder and merchant, Cuffe created his own business and traded along the Atlantic ports of North America, Europe, and Africa. As a man of color, Cuffe often experienced racial discrimination. Given the denial of rights and freedoms to African Americans and Native Americans, Cuffe committed his resources to finding equality outside of the U.S. In 1810, Cuffe sailed for the British colony of Sierra Leone to explore the possibilities for African American settlement. On April 19, 1812, Newport customs officers impounded Cuffe’s ship, the Traveller, upon his return from Sierra Leone. Cuffe, who carried goods from Africa and Britain, had violated President Madison’s 1811 Nonintercourse Act, which prohibited trade with Britain. Determined to regain his possessions, Cuffe traveled to Washington, D.C., carrying endorsement letters from several prominent Federalists, to request an audience with the president at the White House on May 2, 1812. Later, Cuffe petitioned President Madison and Congress for a license to trade with Sierra Leone. On January 7, 1814, Congress introduced a measure which would have approved Cuffe’s request had it not been defeated in the House. Although he never received a license, Cuffe and thirty-eight African Americans sailed to Sierra Leone on December 10, 1815. Cuffe’s plans were short-lived, however, due to his death on September 7, 1817. Image: Library of Congress (fb)

#DYK every U.S. president from 1880 to 1977 had access to a yacht? In the latest episode of The White House 1600 Sessions, White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin tours Honey Fitz, a historic vessel used by presidents Truman through Nixon. Originally built in 1931 and used during WWII, the yacht was later renamed by President Kennedy in honor of his grandfather. Now privately owned and restored to reflect the Kennedy years, Honey Fitz tells a fascinating story, from hot dogs in the dining room to cushions inspired by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s hand-drawn designs. Watch Now at https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-white-house-1600-sessions/the-honey-fitz-a-presidential-yacht (fb)