January 1780

Sea captain and merchant Paul Cuffe, together with his brother John, submitted a formal petition to the Massachusetts legislature arguing that Black men who were taxed but denied the right to vote were subjected to taxation without representation — invoking the foundational argument of the American Revolution on behalf of Black citizens. The petition contributed to Massachusetts granting Black men voting rights.

Paul Cuffe and his brother John Cuffe submitted a petition to the Massachusetts General Court arguing that free Black men who paid taxes were entitled to voting representation — a direct application of the Revolution's 'no taxation without representation' principle. While not immediately successful, the petition contributed to the legal discourse that eventually extended voting rights to free Black men in Massachusetts.