Charity "Duchess" Quamino: Pioneer of Black Business in Colonial America
How the 'Pastry Queen' of Rhode Island Baked Her Way from Slavery to Entrepreneurial Freedom
Charity “Duchess” Quamino stands as one of the earliest documented African American entrepreneurs in colonial America, transforming her culinary skills from enslaved labor into a thriving independent catering business that earned her the title “Pastry Queen of Rhode Island.”
If Black business ownership today matched population share, the American economy would gain an estimated 757,000 new businesses, 6.3 million jobs, and $824 billion in revenue.
Born around 1739 on the Gold Coast of West Africa—likely in present-day Ghana—she was kidnapped as a child and transported to Newport, Rhode Island aboard the slave ship Elizabeth.
Enslaved by the prominent Channing family, where William Channing served as Rhode Island’s attorney general, Quamino worked as a cook and nanny, caring for young William Ellery Channing, who would later become a renowned Unitarian minister and abolitionist.
“a free Black, of distinguished excellence; Intelligent, Industrious, Affectionate, honest, and of exemplary piety.”
-William Ellery Channing
By 1769, Quamino married John Quamino, an African man who had been sent to America to learn a trade but was instead sold into slavery.
After John purchased his freedom with lottery winnings and died in 1779 as a Revolutionary War privateer attempting to earn money for his wife’s freedom, Quamino secured her own freedom—and likely that of her three children—by 1780.
According to local folklore, she “baked her way to freedom,” using her exceptional pastry-making skills to sell goods made in the Channings’ oven. By 1782, she had established an independent household and flourishing catering business, eventually purchasing her own home next door to her former enslavers.
Quamino became famous throughout Newport for her catering services and her signature frosted plum cake, with some accounts suggesting she catered events attended by George Washington during his Newport visit.
When she died on June 29, 1804, at age 65, William Ellery Channing—the child she had once cared for—wrote an effusive epitaph for her grave in Newport’s Common Burying Ground, describing her as “a free Black, of distinguished excellence; Intelligent, Industrious, Affectionate, honest, and of exemplary piety.”
Historical Significance to Black Business in America
Charity Quamino’s entrepreneurial journey represents a foundational narrative in African American business history, demonstrating how enslaved people leveraged specialized skills to achieve economic independence during America’s colonial period.
Her success occurred within a larger phenomenon of Black entrepreneurship in colonial New England, where skilled artisans—including cooks, bakers, blacksmiths, and carpenters—used their expertise to generate income and, in some cases, purchase their freedom.
Pioneering Female Entrepreneurship in a Restrictive Era
Quamino’s achievements are particularly remarkable given the compounded barriers she faced as an African woman in 18th-century America.
Colonial laws restricted married women’s ability to own property or conduct business through coverture laws, while enslaved people had no legal rights to property or self-determination.
As historian Christy Clark-Pujara argues in Dark Work: The Business of Slavery in Rhode Island, enslaved women like Quamino were “commodified in historical documents for their productive and reproductive labors,” yet their “intellectual and financial contributions were instrumental to the business of slavery in early Rhode Island.”
Despite these obstacles, Quamino demonstrated “artisan” skills requiring years of training and hands-on experience, representing what scholars call “creative survival”—the resilience and ingenuity that enabled enslaved people to persevere and ultimately thrive.
Her catering business placed her among a small but significant group of colonial-era Black entrepreneurs who built successful enterprises in tavern-keeping, skilled trades, and food service.
Economic Impact in Newport’s Colonial Economy
Newport during Quamino’s lifetime was the most important slave-trading port in North America, with Rhode Island dominating the North American slave trade by 1730.
Between 30 and 60 percent of white families in mid-18th century Newport owned enslaved people, and the city’s streets were literally “paved through the duties collected on slave imports.”
Within this exploitative economic system, Quamino carved out economic autonomy, eventually becoming prosperous enough to own property as a neighbor to the elite family that once enslaved her.
Her business success demonstrates how skilled labor could create pathways to freedom even within slavery’s brutal confines.
As one historical analysis notes, “skilled labor could be profitable for both the slave owner and the slave,” with evidence that “skilled labor enabled slaves to purchase their freedom” through accumulated earnings.
Quamino’s story exemplifies this pattern, though her self-purchase came at tremendous personal cost, including the loss of her husband who died fighting to earn her freedom.
Key Contributions to Black Business in America
1. Establishing the Culinary Entrepreneurship Tradition
Quamino pioneered a model of culinary entrepreneurship that countless African Americans would follow for generations.
She was part of a cohort of Black food entrepreneurs in colonial Rhode Island who gained economic independence through culinary expertise, including Cuffy Cockroach, who developed Newport’s famous sea turtle stew in the 1760s, and Thomas G. Williams, a 19th-century caterer and abolitionist.
This tradition of “foodways to freedom” became a critical economic strategy for Black Americans, with catering and food service businesses remaining important avenues for Black entrepreneurship into the 20th century.
2. Demonstrating Self-Purchase as Economic Strategy
Quamino’s ability to purchase her freedom through her catering business—a practice known as “self-purchase”—represents a crucial but understudied aspect of American slavery.
While the practice varied by region and was never guaranteed, self-purchase allowed some enslaved people to accumulate money through side businesses, hired-out labor, or specialized skills.
Quamino’s success in this endeavor made her part of a growing free Black population in northern cities that would become essential to antebellum Black business development.
3. Building Community and Social Capital
Beyond her economic contributions, Quamino was an active member of Newport’s religious community, attending Second Congregational Church where she was notably not concealed behind screens like other Black attendees.
Her piety and community engagement, memorialized on her gravestone, demonstrate how Black entrepreneurs built social capital that facilitated business success and community leadership.
This pattern of combining business acumen with community service became a hallmark of African American entrepreneurship.
4. Influencing Future Leaders
Perhaps Quamino’s most far-reaching contribution was her influence on William Ellery Channing, whom she cared for as a child.
Channing later became a prominent abolitionist who, while initially moderate on slavery, eventually condemned it as an “unspeakable evil” and defended abolitionists’ First Amendment rights during violent attacks.
His exposure to Quamino’s humanity, intelligence, and capability likely shaped his evolving views on slavery and racial justice. This demonstrates how individual Black entrepreneurs could influence powerful white allies in the fight against slavery.
Legacy and What Readers Should Remember
Key Takeaways:
Entrepreneurship as Resistance: Quamino’s story illustrates how enslaved people used business acumen and specialized skills as forms of resistance and pathways to freedom, challenging narratives that portray enslaved people as passive victims rather than active agents.
Women’s Economic Agency: As an African woman navigating multiple systems of oppression, Quamino demonstrated that Black women entrepreneurs were creating wealth and economic opportunities from America’s earliest days, long before figures like Madam C.J. Walker.
Foundation for Future Generations: Quamino belonged to the first generation of free Black entrepreneurs whose success laid groundwork for the “golden age” of Black business (1900-1930) and modern African American entrepreneurship. Her achievements occurred despite systemic barriers that persist today—limited access to capital, discriminatory lending, and wealth gaps rooted in slavery.
Incomplete Historical Record: That Quamino’s story remains relatively unknown reflects broader erasure of Black economic contributions from mainstream American history. Her burial in God’s Little Acre—the oldest and largest colonial African burial ground in America—serves as a physical reminder that many Black pioneers’ stories remain buried and awaiting rediscovery.
Economic Impact: If Black business ownership today matched population share, the American economy would gain an estimated 757,000 new businesses, 6.3 million jobs, and $824 billion in revenue. Quamino’s entrepreneurial legacy connects directly to contemporary efforts to close racial wealth gaps through business ownership.
Charity “Duchess” Quamino’s remarkable journey from enslaved cook to prosperous entrepreneur embodies the determination, skill, and business acumen that African Americans have contributed to the American economy since its founding.
Her legacy challenges us to recognize Black business history as central—not peripheral—to America’s economic development, and to understand that the barriers she overcame continue shaping entrepreneurial opportunities for Black Americans today.
Resources for Further Study
Primary Historical Sources:
Rhode Island Historical Society archives on Duchess Quamino
Newport Historical Society baptism records and genealogical materials
Common Burying Ground/God’s Little Acre gravestone inscriptions
Scholarly Works:
Clark-Pujara, Christy. Dark Work: The Business of Slavery in Rhode Island (2016)
Coughtry, Jay. The Notorious Triangle: Rhode Island and the African Slave Trade, 1700–1807 (1981)
Andrews, Edward E. “Dutchess Quamino” in African American National Biography
Museums and Historic Sites:
God’s Little Acre/Common Burying Ground, Newport, RI
Touro Synagogue Museum (features Quamino exhibitions)
Newport Historical Society
1696 Heritage Group, Newport
Online Resources:
Enslaved.org biography and database entry
Museum of Food and Drink Legacy Quilt Project
Rhode Island Black Heritage Society digital archives
Related Scholarship:
Bell, Karen Cook. Running from Bondage: Enslaved Women and Their Remarkable Fight for Freedom in Revolutionary America (on enslaved women’s paths to freedom)
National Humanities Center resources on Black entrepreneurs in antebellum America
Library of Congress guides on African Americans in business and entrepreneurship
Sources and References
Primary Historical and Archival Sources
Enslaved.org - Duchess Quamino Biography
https://enslaved.org/fullStory/16-23-92880/Rhode Island Historical Society - “Duchess Quamino, Slavery, and Skilled Female Labor in Colonial Rhode Island”
https://www.rihs.org/duchess-quamino-slavery-and-skilled-female-labor-in-colonial-rhode-island/Newport Historical Society - “Daily Fare and Exotic Cuisine in Mid-Eighteenth-Century Newport” (PDF)
https://newporthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/May-15-desrosiers_Food.pdfNewport Historical Society - “History Bytes: Female Enslavers in 18th Century Newport”
https://newporthistory.org/history-bytes-female-enslavers-in-18th-century-newport/
Museum and Educational Resources
Touro Synagogue - “Charity ‘Duchess’ Quamino: ‘The Pastry Queen of Rhode Island’”
https://tourosynagogue.org/charity-duchess-quamino-the-pastry-queen-of-rhode-island/Museum of Food and Drink - Legacy Quilt Project: Charity Duchess Quamino
https://legacyquiltproject.mofad.org/quilt/charity-duchess-quamino/Roger Williams University - “Charity ‘Duchess’ Quamino” (Interactive Story)
https://rwu.shorthandstories.com/charity-duchess-quamino/index.htmlRhode Island State Historical Markers - William Ellery Channing House - Duchess Quamino Story
https://rishm.org/william-ellery-channing-house-william-ellery-channing-duchess-quamino-story/National Association for Catering and Events - “5 Black Caterers Who Were Influential in the Catering and Events Industry”
https://www.nace.net/blog/2222-week-1-5-black-caterers-who-were-influential-catering-and-events-industry
Scholarly Articles and News Features
Atlas Obscura - “How a West African Woman Became the ‘Pastry Queen’ of Colonial Rhode Island”
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/duchess-quaminoBoston Globe - “A West African woman, once called the ‘pastry queen’ of Rhode Island, baked her way to freedom”
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/13/metro/west-african-woman-once-called-pastry-queen-rhode-island-baked-her-way-freedom/Face2Face Africa - “The enslaved West African woman who became the ‘pastry queen’ of colonial Rhode Island”
https://face2faceafrica.com/article/the-enslaved-west-african-woman-who-became-the-pastry-queen-of-colonial-rhode-islandThe 74 Million - “Slave Money Paved the Streets. Now This Posh RI City Strives to Teach Its Past”
https://www.the74million.org/article/slave-money-paved-the-streets-now-this-posh-ri-city-strives-to-teach-its-past/Edible Rhody - “Foodways to Freedom Through the Kitchen”
https://ediblerhody.ediblecommunities.com/food-thought/food-thought-foodways-freedom-through-kitchen/Utah Public Radio - “Eating the Past: The Pastry Queen of Rhode Island”
https://www.upr.org/show/eating-the-past/2023-03-20/eating-the-past-the-pastry-queen-of-rhode-island
Historical Context: Rhode Island and the Slave Trade
Small State Big History - “Rhode Island Dominates North American Slave Trade in 18th Century”
http://smallstatebighistory.com/rhode-island-dominates-north-american-slave-trade-in-18th-century/Rhode Island Historical Society - “Rhode Island and the Slave Trade” (PDF)
https://www.rihs.org/assetts/files/publications/2002_Fall.pdfNewport Life Magazine - “The Story of Newport: An African Heritage Perspective”
https://www.newportlifemagazine.com/featured/featured-featured/the-story-of-newport-an-african-heritage-perspective/National Trust for Historic Preservation - “At God’s Little Acre, Clues to the African American History of Newport, Rhode Island”
https://savingplaces.org/stories/at-gods-little-acre-clues-to-the-african-american-history-of-newport-rhode-island
Black Business History and Entrepreneurship
Hiscox - “A history of Black-owned businesses in the US”
https://www.hiscox.com/blog/history-black-owned-businesses-usBlack Girl Ventures - “Breaking Barriers: 6 Daring Black Women Entrepreneurs from the 19th Century”
https://www.blackgirlventures.org/post/breaking-barriers-6-daring-black-women-entrepreneurs-from-the-19th-centuryTech.co - “21 Most Successful Black Entrepreneurs Throughout History”
https://tech.co/news/21-successful-black-entrepreneurs-throughout-history-2015-02AFRO American Newspapers - “The earliest wealthy Black Americans”
https://afro.com/the-earliest-wealthy-black-americans/Brookings Institution - “Reaping the unrealized gains of Black businesses”
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/reaping-the-unrealized-gains-of-black-businesses/Reynolds Center for Business Journalism - “The big economic impact of black-owned small businesses”
https://businessjournalism.org/2024/02/black-owned-businesses/Economic Innovation Group - “Black entrepreneurship, past and present” (PDF)
https://eig.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/TAWP-Atkins.pdfNational Humanities Center - “Black Entrepreneurs in Antebellum America”
https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai/identity/text4/text4read.htmLibrary of Congress - “Entrepreneurs & Brands - African Americans in Business”
https://guides.loc.gov/african-americans-in-business/businesses-industries/entrepreneurs-brandsU.S. Chamber of Commerce - “Chronicling the Vital Role of Black Business in U.S. History”
https://www.uschamber.com/diversity/chronicling-the-vital-role-of-black-business-in-u-s-historyAmazing Women in History - “5 Successful Black Businesswomen In History”
https://amazingwomeninhistory.com/successful-black-businesswomen-in-history/
Self-Purchase and Manumission
National Humanities Center - “On Buying One’s Freedom, selections from 18th-19th c. slave narratives” (PDF)
https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai/emancipation/text1/buyingfreedom.pdfCharleston County Public Library - “Self-Purchase: The Price of Freedom from Slavery”
https://www.ccpl.org/charleston-time-machine/self-purchase-price-freedom-slaveryNational Humanities Center - “Buying One’s Freedom, Emancipation of Enslaved African Americans”
https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai/emancipation/text1/text1read.htm
Colonial Women Entrepreneurs
New England Historical Society - “The She-Merchants of Boston: Women in Colonial Commerce”
https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-she-merchants-of-boston-women-in-colonial-commerce/Women & the American Story - “A Woman of Business”
https://wams.nyhistory.org/settler-colonialism-and-revolution/settler-colonialism/woman-of-business/National Park Service - “Cuming Sisters: ‘She-Merchants’ of Boston”
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/cuming-sisters.htmHiscox - “Women in business: Evolution of female leadership in America”
https://www.hiscox.com/blog/women-in-business-evolution-and-impact
Related Historical Figures
Wikipedia - John Quamino
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_QuaminoWikipedia - William Ellery Channing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Ellery_ChanningFirst Amendment Encyclopedia - “William Ellery Channing”
https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/william-ellery-channing/Colonial Cemetery - “An African Man’s Legacy of Faith & Freedom in Colonial America”
https://www.colonialcemetery.com/an-african-mans-legacy-of-faith-freedom-in-colonial-america/Museum of the American Revolution - “Black Founders Big Idea 4: James Forten and Entrepreneurs of African Descent”
https://www.amrevmuseum.org/black-founders-big-idea-4-james-forten-and-entrepreneurs-of-african-descentMuseum of the American Revolution - “Running from Bondage”
https://www.amrevmuseum.org/read-the-revolution/running-from-bondage
God’s Little Acre Cemetery
Visit Rhode Island - “God’s Little Acre”
https://www.visitrhodeisland.com/listing/gods-little-acre/10041/University of Delaware Material Matters - “Written in Stone: God’s Little Acre in Newport, Rhode Island”
https://sites.udel.edu/materialmatters/2025/05/28/written-in-stone-gods-little-acre-in-newport-rhode-island/World Footprints - “God’s Little Acre: America’s Colonial African Cemetery preserving history”
https://worldfootprints.com/cultural-heritage/history/gods-little-acre-americas-colonial-african-cemetery-preserving-history-in-newport-rhode-island/Colonial Cemetery - “God’s Little Acre | America’s Colonial African Cemetery”
https://www.colonialcemetery.com
Find a Grave - “God’s Little Acre Cemetery in Newport, Rhode Island”
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2357788/god’s-little-acre-cemetery
Reference Entries
Wikipedia - Duchess Quamino
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchess_QuaminoKiddle Encyclopedia - Duchess Quamino Facts for Kids
https://kids.kiddle.co/Duchess_Quamino