Ghanaian Royal, Revolutionary War Veteran Honored as Pioneer Black Entrepreneur in Newark

Cudjo Banquante, an enslaved Ghanaian royal who gained freedom by fighting in the American Revolution, has been honored with a historical marker in Newark, New Jersey. Historians identify Banquante as Newark’s first documented Black business owner, having established a horticultural enterprise. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) erected the marker and held a symposium, receiving an award for their community-focused public humanities work in recognizing Banquante’s contributions.

Banquante’s trajectory from an enslaved African royal to a free landowner and documented business owner in 18th-century America counters monolithic narratives of victimhood, highlighting agency, resilience, and early entrepreneurship among Black individuals in a period of systemic oppression.

The involvement of Banquante’s Ghanaian biographer and a traditional ruler from his birth region provides essential ancestral context, affirming his royal lineage and connecting his individual story to broader African heritage, thereby enriching the understanding of the transatlantic slave trade’s impact and the enduring ties of the diaspora.

The DAR’s initiative to honor Banquante, despite its historical exclusionary practices, signifies a shift towards a more inclusive understanding of American history, acknowledging the significant yet often overlooked contributions of Black patriots and challenging long-standing biases in national memory.