Freedom exhibition documents slave’s route to fabulous wealth

The city’s History Centre is staging the European premiere of Making Freedom, which documents the life of Venture Smith.

Previously shown at Capitol Hill in Washington DC, the display is part of an international research project by Professor David Smith, of Hull’s Wilberforce Institute for the Study of Slavery and Emancipation (Wise), and Chandler B Saint, president of the Beecher House Centre for the study of Equal Rights in Connecticut, USA.

It was unveiled yesterday – 272 years to the day since Smith began his life as a slave, and when Unesco, the cultural wing of the United Nations, marks the remembrance of slavery.

The man who became known as Venture Smith was Broteer Furro, a Royal prince being groomed to lead his people when he was captured by an army of slavers at the northern tip of what is now Cameroon.

He was embarked on a slaving ship which set sail from the Gold Coast of what is now Ghana in May or June, 1739, and was sold into slavery for “four gallons of rum and a piece of calico”.

He was put to work on a farm in the Rhode Island area of North America, then a British colony.

His fate could have been the miserable existence of many of his peers, but this was an exceptional man in every sense.

Physically strong and powerful – at 6ft 2ins he was unusually tall for the period – Smith also possessed an iron will and a strong sense of morality. He literally worked his way to freedom.

Mr Saint said: “Sunday was a day of rest and slaves were allowed to do anything. Venture Smith worked from dawn to dusk every Sunday and at night after work he fished, farmed and went hunting, saving all the money he could and in the last two or three years (of his slavery) paid his owner a fee to be able to go out and work.

“He just bought nothing but what he needed in the way of clothing and he was that rare person in the colonies; he didn’t drink.

“He had an iron constitution,” added Mr Saint. “He was never sick in his old life and it was his great health, strength and intelligence that allowed him to do so much work.”

Smith eventually saved enough money to buy his freedom after 25 years of back-breaking toil and also bought the freedom of his wife and children.

He went into business with his last owner, Colonel Oliver Smith, and was able to enjoy semi-retirement as the owner of a 140-acre farm, a dry dock and fishing rights.

Mr Saint said his story was a timeless legacy that ensured Smith, rather than the slavers, would be remembered.

“He was owned by very prominent people yet it’s the slaves that left the narrative,” he said. “The owners went almost into oblivion.

“Venture Smith can say he almost beat death because he was not forgotten and he still has a voice today.”

The opening of the exhibition was attended by Floyd Henry, a ninth-generation direct descendant of Smith’s.

Mr Henry said he was extremely proud of his heritage and the inspiring story of his ancestor.

He said: “It’s a story that goes beyond racial boundaries. I think the message is perseverance beyond all odds. People are capable of doing the most amazing things. It’s a big struggle, but hard work and dedication and love – because he wanted to keep his family together – can make anything possible.”

Prof Richardson said: “It is an honour and privilege for Wise to be involved in bringing the exhibit Making Freedom: the Life of Venture Smith to Hull History Centre.

“The life of Venture Smith, who was taken as an enslaved youth from Africa to British North America in 1739 and subsequently secured his freedom and that of his family, is an extraordinarily uplifting and inspiring story of human courage and resolve in the face of indignity and oppression.

“Its message is a universal one, not just an African-American or American one. It deserves to be known by all who value freedom and human dignity.”

Councillor Terence Geraghty, portfolio holder for culture and leisure at the city council, added: “Hull History Centre is proud to be the only venue in the United Kingdom hosting this display, which further enhances the city’s reputation as an advocate for freedom that highlights issues important to the international community and BME (black and minority ethnic) groups.”

The exhibition runs until Monday October 31.

Research wins high acclaim

THE exhibition is the result of a transatlantic research project started in 2007 when Hull celebrated the bicentenary of the abolition of the British slave trade, which followed a campaign led by city MP William Wilberforce.

Professor David Richardson, who led the Hull end of the research, has won acclaim for his Yale Atlas of Slavery, which charts more than 300 years of the transatlantic slave trade between 1501 and 1867.

The book this year won the Anisfield-Wolf award, which honours written works that contribute to the understanding of racism and human culture. Past winners include civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King and TV star Oprah Winfrey.