slavery in connecticut: venture smith’s remarkable life · 2017. 8. 29. · enslaved people,...
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SlaveryinConnecticut:VentureSmith’sRemarkableLife
Oneterribledayinabout1736,ayoungboy’slifewaschangedforever.TheboywasnamedBroteer.HelivedinDakandarrainWestAfrica(probablyintheareatodaycalledGhana.)Hisfatherwasaleaderofhisvillage.Onthatday,hisvillagewasattacked.Hisfatherwaskilled.Broteerwastakenandsoldintoslavery.Hewasaboutsixorsevenyearsold.AnAmericanslavetraderboughtBroteerforfourgallonsofrumandapieceofcalicocloth.Weknowhisstorybecausemanyyearslaterhepublisheditinaremarkablebook.Broteerwasgivenanewname:Venture.HewasputonashipforthelongvoyagetoAmerica.While
onboard,hegotsickwithsmallpox,butunlikemostwhogotthatdisease,hesurvived.WhenhearrivedinAmerica,hewassoldtoawhitemanfromRhodeIslandnamedGeorgeMumford.Thoughjustaboy,Venturehadtoworkhard.Hewasnotpaidforhiswork.Hewasconsideredhismaster’sproperty,likeacoworaplow.Heworkedwithabouta
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dozenotherenslavedpeople.Theyworkedonalargefarmthatraisedsheepanddairycows.Venturegrewtobeayoungman.HemarriedMeg.Megwasalsoenslaved.Venturetriedtorunawaytofreedom.ButMumfordputanoticeinthenewspaper.ThenoticedescribedVentureas“averytallfellow”with“thicksquareshoulders.”Venturewascaught.VentureandMeghadadaughternamedHannah.Asthedaughterofenslavedpeople,Hannahwasenslaved,too.MumfordsoldVenturetoThomasStanton.HisnewmasterlivedinStonington,Connecticut.Venturewasseparatedfromhisfamily.Slaveownersoftenseparatedenslavedfamilies.Thiswascruel.AyearlaterStantonpurchasedMeg.Venturewasreunitedwithhiswife,butHannahwasstillownedbyMumford.HeandMeghadtwomorechildren,namedSolomonandCuff.Oneday,VenturegotinthemiddleofanargumentbetweenMegandStanton’swife.StantonbeatVenture.HestolethemoneyVentureandMeghassavedtobuytheirfreedom.Venturecomplainedtothelocalauthorities.Buttheydidnothelphim.AfewyearslaterVenturewassoldawayfromhisfamilyagain.CaptainOliverSmith,aStoningtonmerchant,boughthim.SmithallowedVenturetoworkatotherjobsforpay.Venturecouldkeepsomeofthemoneyheearnedbuthadtogivesometohismaster.Venturewantedto
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earnenoughmoneytobuyhisfreedom.Hewantedtobuyhisfamily’sfreedomtoo.In1765,Venturereachedhisgoal.Hepurchasedhisfreedomandthenhisfamily’sfreedom.HetookOliverSmith’slastnameashisown.Ventureworkedharderthanever.Heworkedasasailoronawhalingship.Heworkedasafisherman.Hecutwood.In1770,Venturebought26acresoflandnexttoThomasStanton’sland.Hesoldthislandin1775andboughtapieceoflandinHaddamNeck.Withinafewyears,hehadboughtmorethan100acres.Hebroughthisfamilytogether.Hewasafarmer,fisherman,andtraderalongtheConnecticutRiverandtheeastendofLongIsland.Venturewasproudofhissuccess.Buthewasalsobitterabouttheinjusticeheandhisfamilyendured.Venturefoughtagainstslaveryuntilhediedin1805.HepurchasedfreedomforotherenslavedpeopleinConnecticut.HetoldhislifestoryinANarrativeoftheLifeandAdventuresofVenture,aNativeofAfrica,whichwaspublishedin1798.Itwasnearly20moreyearsbeforeConnecticutbegantoslowlyfreeitsenslavedpeoplewiththeGradualEmancipationActin1784.Inhisbookhewrote:…Butamidstallmygriefsandpains,Ihavemanyconsolations:Meg,thewifeofmyyouth,whomImarriedforloveandboughtwithmymoney,isstillalive.Myfreedomisaprivilegewhichnothingelsecanequal.NotwithstandingallthelossesIhavesufferedbyfire,bytheinjusticeofknaves,bycrueltyofmyowncountrymenwhomIhaveassistedandredeemedfrombondage,Iamnowpossessedofmorethanonehundredacresofland,andthreehabitabledwelling
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houses.ItgivesmejoytothinkthatIhaveandthatIdeservesogoodacharacter,especiallyfortruthandintegrity.
VentureSmithleftanimportanthistoricalrecord.TodayhislifeiscelebratedinEastHaddamattheannualVentureSmithDayinSeptember.AnarchaeologicaldigrediscoveredthelocationofhisfirstpieceofpropertyinwhatisnowtheStateofConnecticutBarnIslandWildlifeManagementArea.HisgraveisontheConnecticutFreedomTrail.
Thisessayisbasedon“VentureSmith,fromSlaverytoFreedom”byJohnWoodSweet,AfricanAmericanConnecticutExplored(WesleyanUniversityPress,2014)and“LifeandAdventuresofVenture,aNativeofAfrica”byGeneLeach,ConnecticutExplored,Winter2012/2013.