Introduction by Scott Smyers with Original Research by Dominic Carpio and Mario Valdes
In February 2021, Acton Forum posted a summary of information from a PhD dissertation and the Acton Historical Association related to the early black residents and soldiers who lived in Acton and served in the Revolutionary War. One of these men was William Cutting.
In the summer of 2023, Acton Forum was contacted by Dominic Carpio, a Filipino journalist/historian who attended a workshop/symposium at Harvard where he met Mario Valdes from Belize. Mr. Valdes had encouraged Mr. Carpio to pursue a project on William Cutting’s grandson, John Ruggles Cutting.
According to their research, John Cutting attended Harvard College, but withdrew during his sophomore year. He then attended and graduated from Dartmouth College. As an adult, John Cutting changed his name to Cotting and by all accounts was a respected geologist, chemist and teacher. According to my correspondence with Valdes, both Cutting’s withdrawal from Harvard and name change were likely motivated by, or due to discrimination and prejudice associated with his race.
With permission from both Carpio and Valdes, Acton Forum is pleased to present Carpio’s summary of John Ruggles Cutting/Cotting below.
If you would like to review the above document as a pdf and additional material provided by Carpio, follow this link.
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It is 2024. The USofA is still a racist and bigoted country, (less so than it used to be?). Why should I feel pride in something to which I had no input and was 200 years ago? I look at the social advances we have made in my lifetime (85 years) and feel some happiness but I don’t forget there are too many haters still among us. I managed to give time to the military, the Peace Corps and education so far. But it has not been enough. I look at our accomplishments over the past 85 years and am saddened they were no greater. I believe addressing our current problems is much more important than looking back 20, 50, 100, 200 years and saying “Wow, I’m proud.”
Interesting article and research project. I would like to find out more about the thesis and possibly work with some students at AB create a presentation in conjunction with the Acton Historical Society. Who did you work with from Acton Historical Commission. As VP of the Historical Society, I/we appreciate bringing this to Acton’s attention.
You can follow the links in this post back to an older post to find the link to the Historical Society posting. Here is a direct link, https://www.actonhistoricalsociety.org/blog/actons-early-black-residents
There are other valuable sources via links in the original Acton Forum post as well.
Thank you Acton Forum for this research.
This is a fascinating piece of history for Acton. I hope town officials, the Memorial Library, Acton Historical Society, Acton 250, and the citizens of Acton take pride in this utterly unique American and acknowledge John Ruggles Cotting in some proper and permanent manner. As a student, he brought special distinction to Dartmouth and Harvard University. We know both universities could use the positive press these days. We lost a wonderful compendium of research and knowledge when his contributions to the field of geology and theology were lost. The scientific world did not get to benefit from his scholarship, but we should think of what he accomplished and what could have been.
In this period of our history, when we are severely lacking in positive role models of either race, the story of John Ruggles Cotting needs to be told and his legacy celebrated. As Acton approaches a major anniversary of the events that created this great republic, this new historical fact of a larger-than-life individual will compliment Acton’s endeavor to celebrate its own unique contribution to the American spirit.