The Life and Adventures of Venture Smith: And Poems By A Slave (Annotated)

Venture Smith grew up as a household slave on the Mumford plantation and married Meg (or Margaret),another one of Mumford's slaves, when he was 22 years of age. Shortly thereafter, on March 27,1754 Venture escaped with two other slaves and one indentured servant, then voluntarily returns approximately around the month of April, 1754. Smith and several of his fellow slaves attempted to escape, but their plans were abruptly aborted. Smith and his wife were then sold to Thomas Stanton. Smith vividly describes the conflicts he encountered with his new master's family. He goes on to describe how he eventually purchased freedom for his wife and two sons and one daughter by hiring himself out to others, doing odd jobs such as cutting wood, farming, and fishing. Meg and Venture Smith bore 4 children named Hannah, Solomon, Cuff, and Solomon. Three of the children were born enslaved, and the youngest son named Solomon (named after his older brother Solomon who died tragically at 16 while working on a whaling expedition) was born 1773 around the same time Meg's freedom was purchased.