Venture Smith

Venture Smith (c. 1729 – 1805) was an African captured as a 6 and a half year-old and marched to Anomabo on the Gold Coast (today Ghana) to be sold as a slave.[1] As an adult, he purchased his freedom and that of his family. His history was documented when he recorded a narrative of his life and published it under the title A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa: But Resident above Sixty Years in the United States of America, Related by Himself. This autobiography is the earliest known entirely African American literary voice.

Early life

Venture Smith was born Broteer Furro in a place he recalls as Dukandarra in "Guinea"—a term that at the time referred to much of West Africa. Clues in the narrative make it clear that he was from the savannah region — the Documenting Venture Smith Project believe it was the area near Lake Chad. His father was the prince of Dukandarra Saungm Furro. Venture's mother was the first of three wives. Among the three of her children Venture was the eldest. Venture's mother left her husband's village after he had obtained yet another wife without her permission. Venture's mother took her three children carrying no supplies. Traveling 140 miles over four days she relied on foraging to feed her family. The young Venture Smith was left in the care of wealthy farmer while his mother continued her journey. While at the farm Venture was tasked with caring for the owners flock of 40 sheep. According to Venture he remained on the farm for about a year before his father, Saugnm Furro, sent an emissary to retrieve Venture.

Six weeks after returning to his fathers village word was received that the area Venture was previously staying was under the threat of invasion. Having had his son under the care of the farmer Saungm Furro was obligated to give aid in the form of providing safe haven. Shortly after refugees arrived at Saungm's village an enemy messenger arrived and demanded the payment "a large sum of money, 300 fat cattle, and a great number of goats, sheep, asses, ect…” The threat of invasion and battle was enough for Venture's father to agree to the terms. Despite paying the enemy what they had asked, Saungm's village was attacked by a force of 6,000 men. The ten year old Venture and his family attempt to flee, but are captured shortly afterwards. The raiding force killed Ventures father and forced the captives to march about 1,000 miles to Angola on the Gold Coast (today Ghana) while at the same time the raiding force captured more Africans. In a turn of events Venture's captures are attacked and lose. Instead of being set free, he remained in bondage and continued his journey to a trading port. The boy was purchased by Robinson Mumford of Rhode Island for four gallons of rum and a piece of calico. Mumford decided to call him Venture because he considered purchasing him to be a business venture. In late spring 1739 the ship sailed from Anomabo to Barbados with 260 captives and then to Rhode Island.[2] Venture acknowledges that shortly before arriving to Barbados that a smallpox outbreak took the lives of 60 of his fellow captives.[1]

A slave in colonial America

Venture relays in his narrative that upon the ship's arrival in Barbados, all but four were sold to the planters, on August 23, 1739. Venture and three others sailed on to Rhode Island, arriving early fall 1739. Afterward, Venture went to live at Mumford's residence on Fishers Island, New York. Once there, he worked in the household. As he grew older, he endured harder tasks and more severe punishments.

At the age of twenty-five, Venture married another slave named Meg (Margret). Shortly thereafter, on March 27, 1754, he made an escape attempt, convinced to take flight by an Irish indentured servant named Heddy and two other Mumford slaves. During their trip, At Montauk Point Long Island Heddy stole their supplies, and Venture returned him to his master.

In 1754, Venture and Meg welcomed their daughter Hannah. Less than a month later, Venture was separated from his family when he was sold to Thomas Stanton in Stonington-point, Connecticut. They were reunited the following year when Stanton bought Meg and Hannah. Venture had begun saving money he had earned from working outside jobs and selling produce he grew. He hoped to buy freedom for his family.

Venture and Meg had two more children, Solomon in 1756 and Cuff in 1761. Venture was sold twice more. In 1760, he ended up with Capt. Oliver Smith, who agreed to let him to buy his freedom. Smith let Venture work for money when his labor was not required at home. After regaining his freedom Venture took Smith's last name for himself and his family. Finally, in the spring of 1765, Venture Smith purchased his freedom for 71 pounds and two shillings.

A free man

Smith moved to Long Island. In 1769, after cutting wood and living frugally for fours, Smith purchased his sons, Solomon and Cuff. He then purchased a black slave for 40 pounds and gave him 60 pounds but the man ran away still owing Venture 40 pounds.

After gaining his freedom he set off earning money by cutting and cording wood, of which he says he did upwards of 400 cords and threshing out 75 bushels of grain over the course of 6 months. He used his earnings to purchase two of his sons, Solomon and Cuff, for 200 dollars each.

He hired out Solomon, his oldest son, to Charles Church for one year to be paid 12 pounds. Solomon being 17 years of age and able body was, as dictated by Venture, "all my hope and dependence for help." Durning his year of employment, Church had outfitted a whaling boat and convinced the young Solomon to join and in return he would be compensated with his normal wages and a bonus of a pair of silver buckles. When Venture caught word of the expedition he set off in an attempt to stop his son from putting out to sea, but when he arrived and Church's house he could just see the boat on the horizon. Venture would never again see his oldest son on the expedition, as he caught scurvy and died.

Soon after the passing of his son he purchased his wife for 40 pounds. He did this expeditiously as she was then pregnant with his unborn child and thus if she gave birth before he was able to purchase her he would have to buy both his wife and his child separately. After giving birth to another son, Venture named him Solomon in memory of his eldest son who had recently died.

Venture Smith spent the remainder of his life on Haddam Neck, on the Salmon River, in Connecticut, on a farm that he bought starting in 1775 with ten acres, and by 1778 he had more than 130 acres. He made a living by fishing, whaling, farming his land, and trading in the Long Island basin.

In 1798, Smith dictated his life experiences and with his family had it printed by The Bee, in New London, CT. The narrative has been the subject of some contention, regarded in many instances as "whitewashed" and inauthentic. It was suspected that the white editor manipulated Smith's story, a common practice among editors of slave narratives. After four conferences and numerous scholarly papers it is the conclusion of most scholars and the Documenting Venture Smith Project that the Narrative is entirely Venture Smith's own words. The work is titled A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa: But Resident above Sixty Years in the United States of America.

Smith claimed that he was well over 6 feet 1 1⁄2 inches (1.87 m) tall, weighed 300 pounds (140 kg), and carried a 9-pound (4.1 kg) axe for felling trees. This is confirmed by at the archaeological project in 2007 and the runaway ad from 1754.

Venture Smith died in 1805. He is buried at the First Church of Christ cemetery in East Haddam, Connecticut, now a site on the Connecticut Freedom Trail.[3]

He is referenced in the 1971 film Let's Scare Jessica to Death, by the title character, who makes a gravestone rubbing of Smith's headstone, and later reads it to her husband.

See also

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa: But Resident above Sixty Years in the United States of America. Venture Smith 1798. http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/venture/venture.html
  2. ↑ See SlaveVoyages.org for details on the voyage #36067.
  3. ↑ "Attractions", East Haddam, Conneecticut.
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