Where I Live: Connecticut © Connecticut Explored, Inc. whereilivect.org Slavery in Connecticut: Venture Smith’s Remarkable Life One terrible day in about 1736, a young boy’s life was changed forever. The boy was named Broteer. He lived in Dakandarra in West Africa (probably in the area today called Ghana.) His father was a leader of his village. On that day, his village was attacked. His father was killed. Broteer was taken and sold into slavery. He was about six or seven years old. An American slave trader bought Broteer for four gallons of rum and a piece of calico cloth. We know his story because many years later he published it in a remarkable book. Broteer was given a new name: Venture. He was put on a ship for the long voyage to America. While on board, he got sick with smallpox, but unlike most who got that disease, he survived. When he arrived in America, he was sold to a white man from Rhode Island named George Mumford. Though just a boy, Venture had to work hard. He was not paid for his work. He was considered his master’s property, like a cow or a plow. He worked with about a
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WhereILive:Connecticut
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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.
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