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
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
The first published autobiography by a formerly enslaved person in American history, Venture Smith's 1798 narrative stands as a singular document: the story of a West African prince's son, stolen from his homeland as a child and renamed "Venture" by the man who purchased him for four gallons of rum and a piece of calico. Smith recounts the harrowing Middle Passage, his years of enslavement on Barbados and later in Connecticut, and his ingenious schemes to earn money on the side. Through relentless labor and cunning, he eventually bought his own freedom, then that of his wife and children, becoming one of the few enslaved people in early America to achieve liberation for his entire family. Written in his own words at age 70, this narrative offers an unparalleled window into the transatlantic slave trade from someone who lived it and survived it. It is both a historical record of immense importance and an enduring testament to human dignity and the will to be free.
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“left Col. Smith once for all. I had already been sold three different times, made considerable money with seemingly nothing to derive it from, been cheated out of a large sum of money, lost much by misfortunes, and paid an enormous sum for my freedom.””
— Venture Smith
“While we were going to the vessel, our master told us all to appear to the best possible advantage for sale. I was bought on board by one Robertson Mumford, steward of said vessel, for four gallons of rum, and a piece of calico, and called VENTURE, on account of his having purchased me with his own private venture. Thus I came by my name.””
— Venture Smith
“The subject of the following pages, had he received only a common education, might have been a man of high respectability and usefulness; and had his education been suited to his genius, he might have been an ornament and an honor to human nature. It may perhaps, not be unpleasing to see the efforts of a great mind wholly uncultivated, enfeebled and depressed by slavery, and struggling under every disadvantage.””
— Venture Smith
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Smith, Venture. 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. Lex, lex-books.com/book/a-narrative-of-the-life-and-adventures-of-venture-a-native-of-africa-but-residen-67db242f-c897-4a0c-8a30-8d8f5fb9a19d.Smith, V. (n.d.). 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. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/a-narrative-of-the-life-and-adventures-of-venture-a-native-of-africa-but-residen-67db242f-c897-4a0c-8a30-8d8f5fb9a19dSmith, Venture. 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. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/a-narrative-of-the-life-and-adventures-of-venture-a-native-of-africa-but-residen-67db242f-c897-4a0c-8a30-8d8f5fb9a19d.
