A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa

1798

<i> 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</i> was published by C. Hold at the Bee-Office in New London, Connecticut in 1798. As noted in the title, the book was “related” by Venture to his teacher, Elisha Niles, and published the same year. Venture’s was captured as a 10 or 11 year old from West Africa and sold to slavers, who sold him to Robinson Mumford, from Rhode Island. As a slave in New England, Venture married his wife Meg, also a slave, who gave birth to their daughter, Hannah. After Hannah’s birth in 1754, Venture was sold to Thomas Stanton of Stonington, Connecticut and continued to toil as a slave, ending up with Captain Oliver Smith in 1760. Five years later he was allowed to purchase his freedom for 71 pounds. Working as a free man, Venture purchased his sons in 1769and his wife, Meg, in 1772. In 1775 he purchased his daughter Hannah, reuniting his entire family. He lived in East Haddam, Connecticut until his death in 1805.