Chandler B. Saint and George A. Krimsky: Making Freedom: The Extraordinary Life of Venture Smith (2009)
The first biography of Venture Smith was published during his lifetime (1729 – 1805) and 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, Related by Himself. It is a relatively short publication that was based primarily on a journalistic interview of Smith that was done well after he had become a prominent business man in the Connecticut. Born the son of a tribal king, Smith, whose original name was Broteer Furro, was purchased by Robert Mumford, the first mate of a slave trading ship for four gallons of rum and a piece of calico.
His story is extraordinary, but more importantly it paints a very rare portrait of the slave experience in New England before the practice was ultimately outlawed. Northern slavery could be every bit as cruel as the treatment of Southern slaves, though Northern slavery had additional dimensions. For example, we learn from Venture Smith that he was allowed one day a week to work for wages and eventually raised the enormous sum of seventy pounds to buy his own freedom. His treatment by the Mumford family was more like that of an indentured servant, though later, after he had been sold to another family in the Connecticut colony, he would be abused.
What is remarkable about Venture Smith is that from the outset, he saw his enslavement as temporary and believed that he could free himself, his wife and his children through hard work. One account of his industry was that he spent a summer splitting hundreds of cords of wood and making considerable money doing it on the one day per week that he could work for wages. Not only would he eventually free his own family, but he would free many other slaves, most of whom fled without paying him back the money he had earned to buy their freedom. He eventually wound up owning a farm and a number of boats that he used to conduct trade along the Connecticut River.
His tale is one of incredible hard work and determination, but also shows us a man who refused to hate because he was far to busy working for his future. In one instance a white colonist stole from him and he pursued him and carried the man into town and demanded justice. He got it. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Venture Smith was never at a loss for how to get along in the white colonial world. He earned the respect of nearly everyone who met him and ultimately inspired even his owners to help him earn his freedom. In those days, a slave could not be simply released because of the burden that a destitute former slave could impose upon a community. Former owners releasing slaves had to post very large bonds (as high as 100₤ which was a sum large enough to buy a farm) to ensure their continued support.
The tale of Venture Smith is a story that every American should know. It is story of amazing determination. Venture Smith may have come to Connecticut as a slave, but died not only a freeman, but a wealthy man of some prominence. His casket was carried to its resting place by both black and white pallbearers. This was not a status that he won by money alone. While it is true that their were considerably better conditions and more opportunities for freedom for Africans in the northern colonies, they were still slaves and often treated with great cruelty. Smith’s inner nobility eventually won out over his circumstances. He is true American hero and one that should be celebrated for the quality and force of his character.
