— 1763
Cuffy, also known as Kofi Badu, was an enslaved African of Akan origin who was brought to the Dutch colony of Berbice in present-day Guyana.
Cuffy lived on Plantation Lilienburg on the Berbice River, where he worked as a house-slave for a cooper. On 23 February 1763, enslaved people on Plantation Magdalenenberg on the Canje River rebelled against harsh and inhumane treatment. Cuffy emerged as the leader of what became a major uprising involving approximately 5,000 enslaved people against Dutch colonial rule. The rebellion lasted for months and shook the foundations of colonial authority in Berbice.
The revolt was eventually suppressed and Cuffy took his own life in 1763. Today he is recognised as a national hero of Guyana. The 1763 Monument in Georgetown, a prominent public sculpture, was erected in his honour. Republic Day in Guyana commemorates the spirit of resistance that Cuffy embodied.
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